Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in his yet-to-be-released three-part memoirs titled My Watch, accused late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adau of deceiving him about how serious his health issues were before he became the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2007.
Obasanjo surprisingly helped Yar’Adua to pick PDP’s ticket but after his election, Yar’Adua frequently fell ill and eventually died in May 2010, paving the way for Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan to become president.
However, Obasanjo was accused of installing a terminally ill northerner as president in order to return power to the south through the backdoor in no time.
In a chapter titled “To be or Not to be: Jonathan”, Obasanjo said Yar’Adau gave him the impression that he had overcome his health challenges and did not act responsibly when he eventually became terminally ill.
In portions of the book seen in advance by TheCable, Obasanjo wrote: “As can be expected, I was heavily involved in the transition and exit process that saw me leaving office for my successor, Umaru Yar’Adua, as recounted in Chapter Thirty-seven, the ninth chapter of the second volume of this book. The unprepared and unplanned transition from Yar’Adua to Jonathan was a more difficult exercise in some respects. One reason was the ‘cloak and dagger’ manner in which Yar’Adua’s illness was handled.
“The illness of a President cannot be regarded as private. His health has implications for the security and wellbeing of the nation. For the president and those around him to have attempted strenuously to keep the fact of the severity of his illness from public smacks of ignorance of the enormity of what the job entails and the level of provinciality of their understanding, attitude, and approach.
“I remember that in 1978 or 1979 Chief Awolowo visited me while I was military head of state and shared with me how he would always stay at home to attend to the work at hand and only make a private visit to the UK once a year for health reasons if he became president of Nigeria. I made it clear to the chief that once he became president of Nigeria, he could have no private visit to anywhere as such. Wherever he would be, he would be on duty, and the totality of his life would be public. I jokingly added that the only privacy he might lay claim to would be when he was at home with Mama Chief H.I.D., and that even then his security staff would be on twenty-four-hour duty.
Typical OBJ. Blame every other person but yourself. smh.
Obasanjo was just second to gods at the time-Who dare challenged his choice of who succeeded him? He knew very well that Late Yar’adua was not too strong to shoulder the burdens of Presidency of the country at the time. Here is a country where you fight corruption as if you are fighting daemons; where you fight political oppositions as if they are evils from strange lands and fight institutional malfeasance as if the country is cursed. Everyone, even a baby, knew that the Late President Yar’Adua was not just fit, health-wise, to step into the ‘over-sized’ political shoe OBJ was leaving behind. In my opinion, OBJ was just hellbent to reward the family of his late 2nd-in- Command, Musa Yar’ Adua, who incidentally was older brother of Umaru Yar’Adua. For records, the former retired from service at the age of 37! Umaru Yar’adua wouldn’t have lied to OBJ about his states of health, as he would have chronicled in his launch-halt memoir. The Late Umaru Yar’Adua was a very just man- I am bold to say this.
Obj is a — mental case—suffering from -the spirit of womanizing—what is there to learn in that yeye book—-in the first place—–? Nothing—His daughter was paid by Jonathan to insult him—meaning he is not a good father——————he is supposed to be in an asylum-An old peoples home—perhaps—if yr own daughter can be paid–to abuse–u—-without having the fear of God in her——-then something must be wrong with u the father—If– that is not d highest level of madness—then tell me what it is—Besides—why did he refuse to talk about odi ati Zaki Ibiam-or -how bola Ige was assassinated——in his government—-the June 12 debacle–Those are the types of things real 9jas yearn to know more about daily—Nothing on the oil industry———-how he shared–the oil wells with Lukman -d TAM contracts he split with Emeka Offor—Refused to let us into-all those areas——-haba baba-Iyabo-why were Abiolas killed by those who released him from prison?———-Aware 4 Abiola and his June 12 debacle Obj would nave have become president———again———–Yet he refused to touch that topic with a 200 kilometer pole— in his janjaweed—–memoirs penned for APC——- See the thing is that he wrote that book to destroy Jonathan ati Atiku period——-Nothing on Bakassi also———only an insane Nigerian would trouble his soul to read such rubbish————————-let him tell us how sweet his sons wife tasted while he was in bed with her– Was it Jonathan that arranged to have him have sex with his sons wife—also?——————–since its the tradition among the Yorubas–according to him- to sleep with the wives of their children————-its guilty conscience that is troubling his dirty smelly vindictive soul—————–nothing else—-
Haba! this is unfair. Even if Obasanjo had taken your wife, i think your comments are too sensational and base. You should not have thrown caution to the wind in addressing a former president. Whether we like it or not, Obasanjo is still a phenomenon. His record in tact and and temerity is still nonparallel. He may have his moral failures but for once let’s appreciate his contribution to this great country. For me, I think he really means well for Nigeria. And I think we should appreciate this “new” revelation.
Every mortal has a matter to grind with morality. That nobody knows about your secret deals does not make you more holy. We all should be humble enough to accept the fact that as humans we have our failings but the beauty is that we have a God who forgives if we are willing to repent. Let Obasanjo be. But I think he should be commended for his yet to be released memoirs
A popular writer once wrote a piece of dictum that I love so much.He said,”Never mind who you praise,but careful who you blame. You may fall a thousand times yet nobody would call you a failure untill u say someone pushed you”.
Obasanjo is still the best president Nigeria has ever had. You guys should stop speaking ill about him
If OBJ had informats in Atiku’s camp, how come he didn’t use the same strategy of Umaru Yaradua.
He used it, but instead killed the man slowly. Have you forgotten that Prs Yaradua inherited his kitchen cabinet?
OBJ is d problems of dis country. Jonathan Gudluk congrat in advance PRESIDENT 2015.
Ha…aaba! The ever blameless and self righteous OBJ. Remember it’s evil to reproach a dead person. This was the same way you serially reproach lates MKO, Abacha and now late Yar’Adua because they are not alive to say their own side of the stories. Anyway, those who were close enough to him know the that the latest medical he gave you and which you consulted with specialist was very clear about his health condition. you literally coerced and dragged him to Presidency for your own selfish end which shall never materialize as God Almighty is using Jonathan, your Plan B, to repay back all the evils you have sown.
For any serous minded reader, the comment below by ‘burning spear’ says it all about your book.