A chieftain of the ruling All
Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Charles Idahosa, has said he witnessed when
former President, Olusegun Obasanjo knelt before ex-Vice President, Atiku
Abubakar in 2013.
Idahosa was a former Commissioner
for Information and Orientation in Edo state in 2013.
He later served as Special
Adviser on Political Matters to former Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomhole.
He said this while reacting to
Atiku’s defection to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Atiku Abubakar, former Vice-
President recently resigned his membership of the ruling APC and returned to
the PDP.
He told Independent, “Atiku was a
protégé of the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. He has a political machinery that cuts
across the country.
“When Yar’Adua was in prison
during the Abacha era, he confided in some of his lieutenants that in case he
dies in prison, they should ensure they draft in Olusegun Obasanjo in order to
compensate the South West for what happened to the late MKO Abiola.
“Yar’Adua’s key man then was
Atiku so Obasanjo was forced to work with him. When Obasanjo was contesting as
president, he had no money. Atiku provided all the funds.
“I know all this because I was
part and parcel of the whole thing. Having agreed on Obasanjo, they needed
people to execute the project. It was Atiku that called Chief Anthony Anenih to
lead the campaign of Obasanjo.
I was the first person Chief
Anenih took from Benin in 1998. We usually meet in one very popular hotel in
Abuja. That was where the whole plans started before we went to Jos for the
convention.
“Atiku had already won election
as governor of Adamawa state because that was his ambition then. But Obasanjo
insisted that he wanted him as his running mate so he contested as running mate
to Obasanjo despite his position as the governor-elect of Adamawa state.
According to sources available to us that time, Obasanjo said he will do a
single term but after that, he decided to go for second term.
“I was physically present at
Rivers state Governor’s Lodge when the heat became too much and Obasanjo in the
presence of all of us knelt down in front of Atiku begging him to allow him do
a second term.
“I think that was how Atiku
missed the opportunity by agreeing to Obasanjo’s plea. His thought was that at
least, if Obasanjo completes his second term, he will hand over to him but you
all know the story of Third Term Agenda and that was how they fell apart.
“Atiku had the best opportunity
to become president in 2003 and lost it. He had the support of PDP governors
then. Now, in the process of jumping from one place to another to realise his
ambition, he has lost woefully.”
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With your closenes to both of them,you were able to be appointed as commissioner lol
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