Obasanjo was released from prison by Abdulsalami Abubakar on the 16th of July 1998 and by December 9th 1998, he won the PDP presidential ticket in a convention organized in Jos.

After reading extensively on what transpired in the run on to the elections, I realized how much role money and the military as spearheaded by IBB, played in bringing Obasanjo to power without having participated in the formation of the PDP nor any of its major decision making process.

Again, it has been widely reported that while Obasanjo was in prison, his late wife, Stella, used to sell kerosene just to survive. That’s how broke the Obasanjos were before he left prison. So one wonders where he got the money to prosecute a presidential election if things were not railroaded for him?

In a Vanguard exclusive interview with Okwesilieze Nwodo, the former PDP chairman and the serving secretary of the PDP at the time of the convention, in 25th July 2009, he clearly stated how Obasanjo came to become the Presidential candidate of the PDP as against Ekwueme who hitherto was to get the ticket.

Find the interview here https://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/07/obasanjo-was-not-qualified-to-be-pdp-candidate-in-1999-okwesilieze-nwodo/amp/

According to Nwodo, prior to 1999, the Southwest was already singing Odua Anthem and was already hoisting flags and determined to leave Nigeria because of the Abiola saga. Consequently, IBB thought it imperative to help fix the mess he created and that was how he threw his weight behind Obasanjo because of his military experience and because he was the one who could help stop the Yoruba from leaving the Nigerian union.

Going on, Nwodo noted how Sunday Awoniyi who was part of Ekwueme campaign left for the Obasanjo camp and how he(Nwodo) too was lobbied with money and appointive position to throw his weight behind Obasanjo too. Overtures he said he resisted. But of course not everybody resisted such overtures as so many others accepted to be lobbied and to work to deliver Obasanjo including the military government of General Abubakar.

What this means was that the 1998 convention of the PDP in Jos was a mere formality as the winner was already known.

But was IBB wrong? No! Southwest had been shortchanged with the annulment of the 1993 elections which Abiola, a Yoruba, clearly won. So it was natural for them to feel cheated and because of that restitution became imperative .

So as OPC was running amok in the Southwest, hoisting flags and causing havoc, power brokers felt the need to placate these people. But that needed to be done through someone who doesn’t believe in their ideology of breaking away and that was where Obasanjo came handy.


Now to the question, why can’t same thing be done for the Southeast? Hasn’t the southeast been marginalized enough? Wouldn’t anyone who is sincere admit that Ndigbo has been systematically schemed out of the affairs of this country since after the war?

Why is there a rhetorics of how Igbos can’t be trusted with power because some dissidents groups are campaigning for secession but there was no such thing when it was the time of the Yorubas?

Are all Igbos IPOB? Is no Igbo man that can be trusted with power and charged with helping quail the agitations in this region?

Did the Yorubas go cap in hand in 1998 to ask for power? I guess not. Then why are Igbos expected to go cap in hand to other regions to beg for presidency because ‘power is not given on a platter’?

Lalasticlala
Mynd44

Are you sure you read well?

If you have, what is G 35 and what is PDP?
Who formed PDP.

O

Mtcheww

Their wailing just dey sweet my body, more wailing for you guys come 2023

This is super story

NyamiriFlathead:
Their wailing just dey sweet my body, more wailing for you guys come 2023

You have the characteristics of a witch.

Penguin2:
Obasanjo was released from prison by Abdulsalami Abubakar on the 16th of July 1998 and by December 9th 1998, he won the PDP presidential ticket in a convention organized in Jos.

After reading extensively on what transpired in the run on to the elections, I realized how much role money and the military as spearheaded by IBB, played in bringing Obasanjo to power without having participated in the formation of the PDP nor any of its major decision making process.

Again, it has been widely reported that while Obasanjo was in prison, his late wife, Stella, used to sell kerosene just to survive. That’s how broke the Obasanjos were before he left prison. So one wonders where he got the money to prosecute a presidential election if things were not railroaded for him?

In a Vanguard exclusive interview with Okwesilieze Nwodo, the former PDP chairman and the serving secretary of the PDP at the time of the convention, in 25th July 2009, he clearly stated how Obasanjo came to become the Presidential candidate of the PDP as against Ekwueme who hitherto was to get the ticket.

Find the interview here https://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/07/obasanjo-was-not-qualified-to-be-pdp-candidate-in-1999-okwesilieze-nwodo/amp/

According to Nwodo, prior to 1999, the Southwest was already singing Odua Anthem and was already hoisting flags and determined to leave Nigeria because of the Abiola saga. Consequently, IBB thought it imperative to help fix the mess he created and that was how he threw his weight behind Obasanjo because of his military experience and because he was the one who could help stop the Yoruba from leaving the Nigerian union.

Going on, Nwodo noted how Sunday Awoniyi who was part of Ekwueme campaign left for the Obasanjo camp and how he(Nwodo) too was lobbied with money and appointive position to throw his weight behind Obasanjo too. Overtures he said he resisted. But of course not everybody resisted such overtures as so many others accepted to be lobbied and to work to deliver Obasanjo including the military government of General Abubakar.

What this means was that the 1998 convention of the PDP in Jos was a mere formality as the winner was already known.

But was IBB wrong? No! Southwest had been shortchanged with the annulment of the 1993 elections which Abiola, a Yoruba, clearly won. So it was natural for them to feel cheated and because of that restitution became imperative .

So as OPC was running amok in the Southwest, hoisting flags and causing havoc, power brokers felt the need to placate these people. But that needed to be done through someone who doesn’t believe in their ideology of breaking away and that was where Obasanjo came handy.


Now to the question, why can’t same thing be done for the Southeast? Hasn’t the southeast been marginalized enough? Wouldn’t anyone who is sincere admit that Ndigbo has been systematically schemed out of the affairs of this country since after the war?

Why is there a rhetorics of how Igbos can’t be trusted with power because some dissidents groups are campaigning for secession but there was no such thing when it was the time of the Yorubas?

Are all Igbos IPOB? Is no Igbo man that can be trusted with power and charged with helping quail the agitations in this region?

Did the Yorubas go cap in hand in 1998 to ask for power? I guess not. Then why are Igbos expected to go cap in hand to other regions to beg for presidency because ‘power is not given on a platter’?

Lalasticlala
Mynd44

Another Igbo trying to rewrite history. In 1999 the North collectively accepted that the president would come from the south, due to the June 12 annulment. IBB and the ex generals supported Obasanjo. Alex Exueme also contested for the PDP ticket, so it's wrong to say the ticket was handed to Obasanjo.

These cheat-beaters are so funny they claim to be the strongest, the richest, the most intelligent etc yet they have to keep begging us for power! The jokes keep writing themselves folks

Lmao

No presidency for nyamuri flat.heads!! They most keep begging like second class citizens that they are!!

kingawothefirst:
These cheat-beaters are so funny they claim to be the strongest, the richest, the most intelligent etc yet they have to keep begging us for power! The jokes keep writing themselves folks

Take it

basty:
Are you sure you read well?

If you have, what is G 35 and what is PDP?
Who formed PDP.

Alex Ekwueme

MKO Abiola contested an election and won. He was denied his mandate. Which Igbo man has experienced such fate

Obasanjo simply reaped where Abiola sowed.

All the same, Obasanjo and Ekwueme slugged it out a the PDP primaries for the presidential ticket on 2 occasions: 1998 and 2003.

So you see, you have no point.

Nobody will give Igbos the presidency on a platter. It's not done anywhere.

bjdon:


Another Igbo trying to rewrite history. In 1999 the North collectively accepted that the president would come from the south, due to the June 12 annulment. IBB and the ex generals supported Obasanjo. Alex Exueme also contested for the PDP ticket, so it's wrong to say the ticket was handed to Obasanjo.

How is it wrong to say that the ticket was handed to him when the ex generals and the military at large arm twisted everyone else to clear the road for Obasanjo.

I wonder why you people always choose to play the ostrich rather than admit and face a glaring fact?

basty:
Are you sure you read well?

If you have, what is G 35 and what is PDP?
Who formed PDP.

I should ask you if you have cognitive abilities at all...

It was first G-18 and later on G-35. This group was to metamorphose and register as a political party (PDP) and Alex Ekwueme became its first ever chairman just as he was the chairman of the G-35 and Jerry Gana was secretary.

However, when positions were zoned and it was agreed that presidency should come south, Alex Ekwueme resigned his position and Solomon Lar became chairman.

In all these meetings, Obasanjo was nowhere as he was still in prison.

So how can you justify that he came from prison to become more popular than the founding chairman of PDP if he wasn’t powerfully backed?

Cry cry baby. It was on record, PDP didn't zone the presidential ticket in 1999 to South West but entire South. Hence, the reason Obasanjo and Ekwueme participated in the primary. The primary lasted more than 24hours in Jos after which Obasanjo was declared winner.
One begins to wonder, if the Nigeria President should now just be handed over to SE as a gift or the SE are never ready to slog it out with other candidates

@OP.

Your question has a very easy answer.

Yorubas can be trusted with power. Igbos cannot be trusted with power.

It is as simple as that at the most rudimentary level of power sharing devoid of politically correct talk and diplomatic back and forth.

We can write politically correct garbage for 20 pages but the answer above is the bottom line. Watch the behavior of Igbo leaders and you will know they too appreciate this Nigerian reality.

Let PDP zone it to South East first, we can start to call on other parties to do same.




You people have been worshipping PDP for Donkey years, if they can't reward you, is it APC you refer to as terrorists party that will reward you?

get it ticket from PDP and stop disturbing us!

JAMO84:
Let PDP zone it to South East first, we can start to call on other parties to do same.




You people have been worshipping PDP for Donkey years, if they can't reward you, is it APC you refer to as terrorists party that will reward you?

Abi. They are confused people ojare.

The north supported SW in '99 because of what they did to us in '93. They knew the consequences already hence the choice of another Yoruba man to replace MKO's mandate. Abiola singlehandedly fought for the return of democracy.

He could have fled and enjoy his wealth overseas but chose to come back and face almighty Abacha. MKO died in prison. Now tell me which ibo man suffered what MKO suffered. Wasn't it an ibo man that antagonized June 12 restoration or you thought we've forgotten?

Nobody gave Yoruba power on a platter. We've already worked for it prior to '99.

Penguin2:


I should ask you if you have cognitive abilities at all...

It was first G-18 and later on G-35. This group was to metamorphose and register as a political party (PDP) and Alex Ekwueme became its first ever chairman just as he was the chairman of the G-35 and Jerry Gana was secretary.

However, when positions were zoned and it was agreed that presidency should come south, Alex Ekwueme resigned his position and Solomon Lar became chairman.

In all these meetings, Obasanjo was nowhere as he was still in prison.

So how can you justify that he came from prison to become more popular than the founding chairman of PDP if he wasn’t powerfully backed?

Obasanjo was released in July,1998 before the formation of the PDP.


Obasanjo and several other aspirants contested for the primaries.

In all elections, money and lobby are used by power brokers to swing the pendulum of victory to their side. Even in your home State, the principle is applied in chosing the flag bearers.

You don't want Biafla again?

Dsalvo:
@OP.

Your question has a very easy answer.

Yorubas can be trusted with power. Igbos cannot be trusted with power.

It is as simple as that at the most rudimentary level of power sharing devoid of politically correct talk and diplomatic back and forth.

We can write politically correct garbage for 20 pages but the answer above is the bottom line. Watch the behavior of Igbo leaders and you will know they too appreciate this Nigerian reality.

Nooo, it's not about Igbo or Yoruba being trusted or not but about the change or advancement of democracy in Nigeria.

Certain things will be very difficult to repeat because;

1) The emergence of the APC: Before 2015, any political arrangements done by the PDP was as good as done and only needed to be validated by an election or resemblance of such. There was no real Challenger and Nigeria was more or less a one-party State.



2) Zoning comes with it's price. The prices include dissatisfied members decamping to a VIABLE alternative party. This was a minimal issue before 2015 because there were many but weak opposition parties.
Things aren't exactly the same now. Even the APC can be defeated.

Any political party that publicly announce in 2021 that it has zoned it's ticket to the S/East is telling other political bigwigs from other parts of Nigeria to stay away from the party and it's most likely to witness a gale of defections.

By saying 'south' at least half of the country will assume that they still have chance with the party until when the primaries is conducted.

Atiku, Saraki, Tambuwal and others that are spending money, time and energy to keep the PDP exciting aren't foolish. If the PDP say they have zoned their ticket to the S/East, do you think these people will still be in PDP or if still they are, they won't be this committed.

Penguin2:
Obasanjo was released from prison by Abdulsalami Abubakar on the 16th of July 1998 and by December 9th 1998, he won the PDP presidential ticket in a convention organized in Jos.


Lalasticlala
Mynd44

Wailing Wailer

oyatz:


Nooo, it's not about Igbo or Yoruba being trusted or not but about the change or advancement of democracy in Nigeria.

Certain things will be very difficult to repeat because;

1) The emergence of the APC: Before 2015, any political arrangements done by the PDP was as good as done and only needed to be validated by an election or resemblance of such. There was no real Challenger and Nigeria was more or less a one-party State.



2) Zoning comes with it's price. The prices include dissatisfied members decamping to a VIABLE alternative party. This was a minimal issue before 2015 because there were many but weak opposition parties.
Things aren't exactly the same now. Even the APC can be defeated.

Any political party that publicly announce in 2021 that it has zoned it's ticket to the S/East is telling other political bigwigs from other parts of Nigeria to stay away from the party and it's most likely to witness a gale of defections.

By saying 'south' at least half of the country will assume that they still have chance with the party until when the primaries is conducted.

Atiku, Saraki, Tambuwal and others that are spending money, time and energy to keep the PDP exciting aren't foolish. If the PDP say they have zoned their ticket to the S/East, do you think these people will still be in PDP or if still they are, they won't be this committed.

They are too dull to understand politics, they think it's like trading where you always put profit margin on every transaction

Obasanjo was a military man who was loyal to the nothernans . Can you tell us any Igbo man that loyal to the nothernans with good political Bridges across north and south ? The presidency can only be zoned to south in 2023 which included SW,SS and SE but the power will go to who has more political Bridges with north.

Because OBJ, his region was trusted by those who gave the power on a platter of gold.

Can same be said about any candidates from SE region? Can the region as a whole be trusted considering their antagonizing way of politics?

Btw, the presidency under Pdp in 1999 was microzoned to Southern. Nigeria which Alex Ekwueme alao contested the primary and lost

oyatz:


Obasanjo was released in July,1998 before the formation of the PDP.


Obasanjo and several other aspirants contested for the primaries.

In all elections, money and lobby are used by power brokers to swing the pendulum of victory to their side. Even in your home State, the principle is applied in chosing the flag bearers.

How can you explain Obasanjo’s ability to throw money around in less than 5 months after his release from prison when Stella his wife had to sell kerosene to survive while he was in prison?

And hey, the G-18 and later G-35 were a political pressure group since the time of Abacha which was when Obasanjo was in prison. It was after General Abubakar gave a date for return to democracy that they registered as a political party.

Isn’t it obvious to you that Obasanjo was clearly a stranger to the fold?

Keep wailing...... All this noise Upandan, we know say na because make dem hand over the presidency to you like a plate of Akpu..

Una go wait tire..