OBJ, Yar’Adua in new rapproachment

Umaru Yar’Adua

Contrary to widespread speculations that President Umaru Yar’Adua and his predecessor, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, were in discord, Festus Ojudun writes that events in the last few days may have proved that all is well between the duo.

When last month, President Umaru Yar’Adua said that his predecessor, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, spent N10 billion to improve power generation but with little success, many people who were unsympathetic with the former president were quick to conclude that Yar’Adua’s statement was a confirmation of the widening gulf between him and his predecessor. They were quick to add that Yar’Adua’s seeming deviation from the policies of his predecessor had sparked off a discord between them.

But events in the last few weeks have proved otherwise and have confirmed a story in the Nigerian Tribune that the two leaders had renewed the ‘pact’ between them.

The latest confirmation that dispelled rumours doing the rounds that the two leaders were at loggerheads came when Yar’Adua declared that: “Obasanjo is my leader.” He said this during the wedding reception of Major Adeboye Obasanjo, one of the sons of the former president, and his wife, Daisy, held at the Valleyview Auditorium of the Ogun State Government House in Abeokuta.

Before then, insinuations of an internal feud between the two had become widespread in the wake of the alterations, adjustments and policy reversals that Yar’Adua has done since he became president. Those making the insinuations hinged their argument on the policy reversals that Yar’Adua had spearheaded. They said that if all was well between the two leaders, Yar’Adua would not have adjusted, dumped and reversed many of the last-minute decisions of the last administration.

Nigerian Tribune had reported that more facts had emerged over the recent caucus meeting involving four top leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where government sources hinted that both Yar’Adua and Obasanjo resolved their differences. Other party leaders present at the caucus meeting were Senate President, David Mark, and the outgoing chairman of the party, Dr. Ahmadu Ali. The duo of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, were reportedly walked out of the caucus meeting.

Presidency sources had revealed that contrary to reports of a widening gulf between the two leaders, the PDP caucus insisted that neither of them should wash their dirty linen in public. The sources had also revealed that Obasanjo told Yar’Adua that he was free to run his government as he deemed fit and that he (Obasanjo) would not interfere with his administration. He was also said to have told Yar’Adua not to hesitate to adjust, reform or correct any mistakes or defects in some of the policies he initiated while he was president. The sources revealed that the former president told Yar’Adua that in the process of correcting the mistakes, if there were any, he should act within the overall reform agenda of the PDP.

Another presidency source had told the Nigerian Tribune that Obasanjo cautioned Yar’Adua not to allow the opposition to come inbetween them, saying that such could weaken the PDP and affect its chances in future elections. He was said to have said this to caution Yar’Adua on the implementation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) which he forged with some opposition political parties.

The source had squealed that the PDP outgoing national chairman, Ali, counseled Yar’Adua to be wary of the antics of the opposition in the GNU. He was said to have advised the president that the aim of the opposition was to infiltrate the party and cause a new discord among its stalwarts. He was said to have told the president that it was in the interest of the opposition that he (Yar’Adua) and Obasanjo fellout with each other, urging Yar’Adua to maintain the ‘pact’ he had with Obasanjo before last year’s election.

President Yar’Adua was said to have reassured his predecessor that he would not breach the ‘pact’ and that he was committed to the reform agenda of the party, especially economic reforms, prosecution of the anti-corruption war and strengthening of democracy. He was said to have explained that he had no plans to probe his predecessor, but that he was only trying to correct defects in some of his policies and set the country on the part to national glory.

Nigerian Tribune had reported that among the ‘pact’ between Yar’Adua and Obasanjo was the agreement to allow his predecessor retain control of nominations for political appointments, especially from the South West geopolitical zone. It was reported that no major political leader from the South West could see Yar’Adua without first informing Obasanjo. In fact, presidency sources revealed then that Yoruba leaders who visited Yar’Adua without telling Obasanjo were always surprised whenever they discovered that Yar’Adua had personally briefed Obasanjo of their visit and issues they discussed.

To show that there was still unity in the PDP and contrary to rumours making the rounds that there was a rift between Yar’Adua and Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, as reliably gathered, supported PDP chieftains that eventually emerged as PDP National Convention Planning Committee members. He was also said not to have supported moves to remove Obasanjo as PDP Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman. Indeed, Obasanjo’s continued stay as the BOT chairman had drawn the ire of many party stalwarts who perceived granting him the position as providing him undue influence over the party. Many other PDP stalwarts that seemed to have scores to settle with the former president had publicly asked Obasanjo to quit as the party’s BOT chairman. They reportedly made moves to unseat him, but fluffed, courtesy of support he still enjoyed among some party chieftains. It was the support from Yar’Adua and other prominent members of the PDP that reportedly helped the former president to retain the seat to the consternation of those who wanted him removed.

Reports of underground politicking to swindle the former president and send him out of relevance in the dominant party had filled the media. Anti-Obasanjo forces were said to have perfected their strategies to remove him as BOT chairman and deny him of any influence over who would emerge as the party’s national chairman at the party’s national convention billed for March 8.

The latest intrigue over the party’s national convention is about the venue of the event.

The former president reportedly wants the convention to hold in the South West geopolitical zone; a stance that pitted him against party chieftains who believe that holding the convention in the South West would provide the leeway for Obasanjo’s favoured candidate to emerge as the party’s new national chairman. Whether the former president will consolidate his influence on the party with the emergence of his preferred candidate in March or the anti-Obasanjo forces will outwit him may be difficult to determine now, but the fact remains that the former president appears to have a hold on the party, especially in the South West.