The reaction to last week’s column which corrected former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s story of the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) 2003 convention came fast and thick. Obasanjo claimed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had backed Dr. Alex Ekwueme, who was VP in late Shehu Shagari’s 1979 -1983 presidency till Ekwueme and Atiku had lost that bid, did Atiku return to Obasanjo’s corner, and a graceful Obasanjo forgave him and still retained him as Vice President.
As congratulatory calls poured in, questions about why I “stupidly” gave the story to Daily Independent instead of publishing it in a book, dropped in very often. Many said they were too young to take those events of about 14 and half years ago seriously, some others confessed they had forgotten them. I will reproduce some of the questions and answer them.
QUESTION: “If Atiku had not teamed up with Ekwueme, why would Obasanjo have gone into re-election bid without his VP?
Answer: The Obasanjo/Atiku relationship had soured beyond repair as early as 2001. That was when the earliest scheming for the much-talked about Third Term bid, which Obasanjo has always denied began. By this time, some divisions inside Aso Rock Presidential Villa had started assuming concrete shapes, and the launch of the book the late Dr. Stanley Macebuh had sponsored and edited to help project the achievements of the Obasanjo administration was stopped when people were gathering for the launch. Title: “Taming the Wilderness,” on the launch day. Dr. Macebuh, who took a bank loan to print the book, could not believe his ears when he heard the news.
The Obasanjo/Atiku problem started when the drivers of that Third Term vision visited Atiku and attempted to sell the idea to him. An aghast Atiku, told them to ask Obasanjo to perish the thought. That was it for Atiku.
Then Obasanjo had begun to acquire the ire of the National Assembly when the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo was Senate President and Alhaji Umar Ghali Na’Abba headed the House of Representatives. The Representatives had a group of nationalistic young men, such as Chief Nduka Irabor, Nze Chidi Duru, Suru Ghandi, Sadiq Yar’Adua, who were in a hurry to grow Nigerian democracy and development and had little patience with a dawdling Obasanjo. They gave Obasanjo some heat and talked often about impeaching him. Obasanjo took the often-talked about impeachment issue seriously even though the Representatives did not mean it. The route they took was to make it plain to Nigerians and Obasanjo himself that he should not even think about contesting for re-election. Even though Atiku would often go to douse the impeachment tension at the National Assembly, just as Gen. T.Y. Danjuma also did, Obasanjo was convinced that Atiku was behind the impeachment moves.
Here and there within the PDP, the agreement was that the Obasanjo administration was not what the party’s founders had in mind. They had seen Nigeria being divided more and more instead of being united as Obasanjo would often go his whimsically autocratically wayward, way. Corruption was not being tamed either, instead hypocrisy was the order of the day. So the idea took root that Obasanjo was not only bad news but should not return. In fact the idea spread from the House of Representatives that Obasanjo was a bull in a China shop and so should be guided out gently.
It was in October 2002 that I reported exclusively that Ekwueme would challenge Obasanjo for the presidency. I will forever remain grateful to Chukwudi Nwabiukwu, for he helped confirm the story for me. Chuks was by then THISDAY newspaper’s Abuja Bureau Chief. That was how I came to know Mr. Handel Okoli, who was the person Ekwueme recommended when Obasanjo in 1999 asked him for a person to be appointed Special Assistant to the President.
It was only when it became obvious to Obasanjo that he could never defeat Ekwueme without the help of Atiku and certain PDP Governors that he returned to Atiku and began to plead for his cooperation.
Question: Did Obasanjo really go after Chief James Onanefe Ibori because of the politics of that PDP convention?
My answer: Yes! As the state Governors were coming into Abuja there was tension in the air over the would-be outcome of the PDP convention. Earlier, 15 PDP Governors who were opposed to Obasanjo’s running as PDP flag bearer had been led by the then PDP Chairman, Dr. Audu Ogbeh, to see Obasanjo right inside the Villa. Ibori spoke for the group. He told Obasanjo that owing to his non-democratic tendencies “you have proved to be unmarketable, unsaleable and un-electable”, and it was in the PDP’s interest to pick another presidential candidate. Obasanjo pleaded with the group to give him another chance and promised to become more democratic and less authoritative.
So, that afternoon on the grounds of the 2003 PDP Convention on the 6th of January 2003, Chief James Ibori further won Obasanjo’s enmity when he sent a phone text message to the five South-East Governors that as it had been agreed that Obasanjo would win the primaries, they should please not allow Ekwueme to be disgraced. So, the five South- East states’ delegates should cast their votes for Ekwueme and Delta will throw its weight behind Ekwueme too, not to make the man win, but so that he should not be disgraced. As the South-West delegates had turned the venue into a carnival, celebrating lustily because the governors had agreed to support Obasanjo, Ibori’s text message was a well-considered one. He sent it out at 1.30 pm. At 3.30 pm he called me and told me of the text message and that so far, none of his brother Governors had returned the message. Then he added: “Tony, I know that by now they would have forwarded that text message to Obasanjo…but in my heart of hearts, I feel it would be wise to ensure that Ekwueme is not disgraced.”
As the voting ended, Ekwueme spoke. The gentlemanly Ekwueme, rose to his full length and denounced the election. He said that he was certain that those who supported him would be traced and punished. The delegates began leaving Abuja on Monday, so I was surprised that when I phoned Ibori on Thursday and said I had a very urgent life and death message for him, he asked if I could meet him at the Abuja Airport because he was about to take off to Benin. I drove like a mad man and my car nearly bounced off the road when I ran into the speed break near the Airport gates, at full speed. That day, Volvo cars gained my respect as it did not crash.
I: Sir, I am surprised that you are still in Abuja.
Ibori: yes, I have to delay my leaving. Some of us are concerned about the state manly Ekwueme. I had to stay behind as some of us want to ensure that he is not disgraced. Some of us have agreed to protect him. (Ibori’s word were not empty ones; immediately after that Convention Obasanjo began to plan how to remove Ekwueme from the PDP Board of Trustees Chairman. That battle raged on for years and Ekwueme could not be removed even as he stopped attending party meetings. (How Obasanjo dethroned Ekwueme as BoT Chairman remains one of the black eyes Obasanjo gave to Nigerian democracy)
Ibori: Yes, Tony what information have you?
I told him that I had it under unimpeachable authority that a plan has been hatched to fight him with every ounce of power available to the Federal Government. He turned the information over in his mind, and thanked me. He said he would be on the watch out, but that the thing on his mind at that moment was that Ewueme, “the man who fought the most for the restoration of the democracy Nigeria enjoyed, should not be disgraced. His interest comes before mine.” I was shocked by his reply. He was still thinking about Ekwueme and not himself.
I escorted him to his car, apologising for delaying his flight. As I drove back, I wondered at such selflessness. Or did he not believe me?
The PDP Convention took place on the 6th of January 2003, a Sunday. Ibori flew out of Abuja on Thursday, the 10th. Two weeks later, a story broke; Ibori had been accused of being an ex-convict, having been tried for “criminal negligence” for allowing workers under him to steal building materials. Yet, otherwise respectable journalists still write that Ibori was tried for stealing. The building allegedly being constructed has not been named. If it was the Abuja Lower Usuma Dam, then that would be outrageous for that dam was competed in 1986, yet, in the allegation pilled on Ibori’s head, it was claimed the dam was still being constructed in 1985. I challenge anyone to prove me wrong on this. Then when after Obasanjo’s re-election Ibori went to congratulate Obasanjo, the former President replied: “You said I was unmarketable, unsalable and unelectable. All your life I will make you unmarketable, unsalable and unelectable. Since then Ibori has not been allowed to have some peace.
Question: Did Daily Independent give me an award because my Presidency Series titled “All the President’s Men?
Gosh! That brought back bad memories. I still remember the night I went to correct the manuscript from someone who read through it. I did not drive but walked over five kilometres from Utako to Ona Cresent, Wuse Two, Abuja, because I had no money with which to buy petrol into my car. To stop the rain from destroying the manuscript, I stood pressing my back to a primary school wall from 11 to 1.30 am. Under the then MD, Mr. Ted Iwere, my salary was being deducted as punishment because some National Assembly hands had removed N300,000 as facilitation fees from the N4m advert money paid to Daily Independent. Mr. Ajayi, the then Accounts head, had called to say every other person at the meeting opposed imposing any punishment on me because I did nothing bad, that Iwere insisted that I must be punished. I got the advert, I wrote the letter that brought the advert money from the NASS. Yes, I was punished for no known offence. I asked Iwere to ask NASS aides (former journalists) such as Loen Usugbe, Austin Iyashere (now with MTN) if what was paid to me was not what I paid to Independent. I just collected the money and headed for the bank. Not even my commission was removed and I was paid pure cash. I even told Ted that I was informed those who facilitated the payment demanded to be paid N300, 000. He said I should go get the money first.
Mr. Iwere was not moved. In the end the remaining N4million of that advert sum, remains lost till tomorrow as nobody could bring it out. When Ted reminded me of it, I challenged him to first prove me a thief, after all I was punished for no reason. And did I receive an award for the story. I swear that I heard the Publisher telling Ted that I should be given an award. It was during Ted’s mother’s burial and I was about to step into Ted’s living room when I heard my name mentioned. I froze then listened attentively and I did not step into that parlour until the discussion had changed. I am still waiting for that award – for the series I wrote in 2004.
