Owners of Nigeria XII-Umar Yar’Adua: A Hostage President

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By Seyi Oduyela

Published: February 9, 2010

 

Owners of Nigeria XII-Umar Yar’Adua: A  Hostage President

 

 By Oluwaseyi Oduyela

In December 2006, Olusegun Obasanjo fulfilled his promise of returning power back to the north, when he arm-twisted some southern candidates from his party (People’s Democratic Party) to step down for his candidate Umar Yar’Adua. It is obvious that Yar’Adua was not the northern choice but Obasanjo made sure he handed over to a northern candidate of his choosing. It is reported that he feared the likes of El Rufai who as president would be too independent minded and intelligent to be remote-controlled from Otta. Indeed the out-going president’s phobia was a successor who might eclipse his performance in office as the workaholic Rufai would have.

Peter Odili, and many other southern governors who had wanted to be President were forced to fall in line for Yar’Adua. Days before the PDP presidential primaries, EFCC swooped on Hilton hotel Abuja cancelling rooms for delegates loyal to presidential hopeful Peter Odili.

Babangida, the man who made Obasanjo President in 1998 was forced by Obasanjo to withdraw and he did. IBB had asked a favor of Obasanjo that there be no screening of candidates for the presidency so he would face no hurdles to the presidency. IBB even dispatched Mariam Babangida and a retired US ambassador acting as his consultant to launder his image in the US pursuant to a presidential run. But the bigger hurdle was when Obasanjo declined an automatic ticket for the man who came to Otta to hand pick him for the presidency shortly his release from jail.

As soon as Yar’Adua got to office it became clear that though he had been a chief executive of a state for 8 years, he had no experience governing. While Alhaji Bola Tinubu remained a stalwart of Action Congress (AC), he put all his resources behind Yar’Adua. He did this in collaboration with James Ibori through Ooando Oil laundering money from British Virgin Island to support Yar’Adua’s election against Abubakar Atiku, AC’s presidential Candidate. The reason for Tinubu’s action is for another time.

From day one in office, Yar’Adua’s health was not actually the reason why he has not been able to perform; the reason had been his lack of leadership quality. According to a credible source within Yar’Adua’s cabinet, the famous faceless Kaduna Mafia imposed political appointees on him.  “Out of many candidate presented to Yar’Adua, Baba Gana Kingibe was the only face close to what he can pick for the Secretary to the Federal Government position,” my source said. The source said that Baba Gana Kingibe would not have made Yar’Adua’s cabinet if he (Yar’Adua) had had the free choice to pick his Secretary to the Federal Government. While Yar’Adua was battling with the Mafia, Obasanjo , his predecessor expected him to retain half of his Ministers- Femi Fani Kayode, Borisade, El Rufai and others were supposed to remain in their positions but Yar’Adua turned that down.  However, he invited Ojo Maduekwe to be his Foreign Affairs Minister per Obasanjo’s request even though all the senators from Abia opposed him initially. Segun Adeniyi, his Media Adviser is said to have recommended Maduekwe but chipped in that though Maduekwe is not corrupt, “he can do anything for anything.”

Yar’Adua relied so much on his aides that he got so confused on who to believe and rely upon. When the Attorney General approached him on the need to transfer the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to the Ministry of Justice, Yar’Adua believed his Justice Minister and had already asked Segun Adeniyi to issue a Press Release to that effect. While this was waiting to be out on Monday, Major-Gen Mohammed Abdullah (Chief of Staff) and the State House Counsel presented another memo to Yar’Adua that countered the AGF’s memo. Yar’Adua was angry when he read that the EFCC had been moved to Justice Ministry, as reported by Punch Newspaper. The report made Yar’Adua to ask Adeniyi to issue a press release and announce the transfer of EFCC to Justice Ministry; but the brief from the Aso Rock Counsel stopped the Press Release.

Though Goodluck Jonathan has had luck running his way since he was Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, but it did not work for him as Vice President. Initially, Yar’Adua appointed him as the head of the Niger-Delta Reconciliation Commission, but an e-mail from Ledum Mitee changed that destiny. Ledum Mitee had sent an e-mail to Segun Adeniyi complaining that with Jonathan at the head of the Reconciliation Commission, Ogoni people cannot get fairness because Jonathan himself is a party to it being an Ijaw. Segun took the e-mail to his boss and Yar’Adua said, “oh I didn’t realize that;” he then removed Jonathan as Chairman.

This was the first of many blunders the president was to make. When he was hospitalized in Saudi Arabia the first time, his first action on return was to fire SGF Babagana Kingibe – a notoriously ambitious man who had run for president before but who had had the temerity to discuss a succession plan for the government in case Yar’adua did not make it back alive.

To be continued…..

In the next series:

Ojo Maduekwe’s Area Boy Diplomacy

The absence of Ambassador to US and many more.

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