Politics
How Yar`Adua Rallied Northern Governors Against Third Term For Obasanjo – Ken Nnamani
Umaru Yar`Adua as governor of Katsina State who became the ultimate benefactor of the failure of the Third Term Project has been outed as the one who rallied northern governors to oppose the scheme that would have seen President Olusegun Obasanjo serve a third term in office.
Ken Nnamani who served as Senate President at that time has also punctured claims by Olusegun Obasanjo that he never told anyone of his desire for a Third Term in office saying that he indeed told a group of Northern governors at that time.
The revelations are contained in Nnamani’s book, “Standing Strong: Legislative Reforms, Third Term and other issues of the 5th Senate.”
Meanwhile, Nnamani has said that the book was not written to attack anyone, especially President Obasanjo. Speaking to newsmen in Lagos ahead of the public unveiling of the book, he said he has documented the engagements at that time to put focus on principles and issues rather than on principalities.
Noting Yar`Adua’s role in the derailment of the third term agenda that shook the nation in 2006, Nnamani wrote:
“President Obasanjo continues to claim that he never told anyone that he wanted a third term. That’s not exactly true. Yes, maybe he never told anyone publicly, but he did discuss it with people quietly and privately.”
“Knowing that the biggest opposition to his third term would come from the north, which naturally expected to present the next president after the expiration of his tenure and would feel short-changed by his continued stay in office, President Obasanjo called a meeting of the 19 northern state governors in Aso Rock.
“He wanted the meeting to be as secret and confidential as possible, so he told the governors to come in person and not to send their deputies or any representatives.
“He chose the First Lady’s lodge, away from prying eyes for the same reason.
“When the governors arrived, he tried to sell the third term agenda to them hammering on the need to complete and consolidate the various reforms that had been initiated for the benefit of Nigeria.
“He also played on the sentiments of the governors, telling them that they too would have an extra tenure to work for their states and have more time to complete their projects and programmes.
The governors listened attentively and asked him to allow them to go and discuss the proposal among themselves. They then retired to Kano Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro.
“There at the Lodge, the first to speak was Governor Umaru Yar`Adua of Katsina State, who submitted that under no circumstance should they support the president’s proposal. He reminded his brother governors that the proposal would mean jettisoning the rotational arrangement of the Presidency and denying the north its turn at the head of the country’s government.”
The book said that following him Governor George Akume also spoke for about 30 minutes in the same vein and that it would amount to a violation of the constitution through which they were elected.
Following the agreement, the governors selected Governors Ibrahim Shekaru of Kano and Abdullahi Adamu of Nasarawa States to convey their rejection of third term to Obasanjo.
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