Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by G1STMORE: 1:49am On Aug 03, 2018 |
GistMore.comFormer President Olusegun Obasanjo knelt down for then Vice President Atiku Abubakar in his desperate bid to secure the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2003 poll, according to Professor Wole Soyinka.
The revelation came yesterday as the Nobel laureate gave a rare insight into the high-stake lobbying and negotiations that preceded the PDP’s presidential primaries in which Atiku was highly favoured to win at the expense of his then boss Obasanjo.
Besides, Soyinka spoke on how genuine efforts by Chief Bola Ige to reposition the energy sector as Power Minister between 1999 and 2000 were sabotaged by Obasanjo.
Soyinka was replying a question at a special reading session to mark the presentation of his latest book, “Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?: Gani’s Unfinished Business”, at the Freedom Park, Lagos.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Louis Odion, one-time Edo State Information Commissioner and The Nation columnist, asked the literary giant whether he believed a sensational claim last year by Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose of witnessing Obasanjo going down on his knees in Tripoli before the late President Muamar Ghaddafi in his desperate bid to secure the Libyan strongman’s support for an extension of his chairmanship of the African Union (AU), since the former Nigerian President has neither denied nor confirmed the account.
Fayose’s account was published by an Abuja-based monthly magazine, The Interview.
Ghaddafi was younger than Obasanjo. Libya is smaller in size and population compared to Nigeria.
Responding, Soyinka said he had no cause to doubt Fayose, given his knowledge of how Obasanjo did the “unthinkable” when his aspiration for a second term in office was similarly threatened in 2003.
Said he: “Before the PDP primaries in January 2003, Obasanjo got everyone he knew could reach me on the surface on the earth including Yemi Ogunbiyi and my son, to get me to help him intercede when it was clear that (Abubakar) Atiku was in a position to take his job. He knew Atiku had a lot of regard for me and calls me ‘Uncle’.”
In the now famous BBC interview few days to PDP’s 2003 primaries, Atiku had declared that he was under tremendous pressure from his supporters to contest the ticket against Obasanjo but was yet to make up his mind in what triggered panic in Obasanjo’s camp.
“The pressure was intense,” the literary giant recounted. “Of course, I could not have knelt before Atiku not to embark on a course of action that would lead to his boss’ disgrace. But I can confirm to you that Obasanjo as President knelt down before Atiku so that he would not lose his job.
“But I warned Atiku that for making Obasanjo to kneel down for you, be sure you would have to pay heavily for that. I guess my warning came to pass if you remember Atiku’s dramatic change of fortune once Obasanjo was sworn in for a second term of office.”
As expected, yesterday’s book reading turned out a day of reminiscences of many bizarre dramas and unsavory episodes that characterised Obasanjo’s reign as two-term president betweeen 1999 and 2007. The panel of disscussants included frontline rights activist-lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and Mr. Sam Omatseye, author and Chairman of “The Nation” Editorial Board, and was moderated by Mr. Kunle Ajibade, award-winning author and Executive Director of “TheNews/Tempo”.
The roll-call at the event included literary colossus Prof. J. P. Clark, Colonel Tony Nyiam (retd) and Mr. Jahman Anikulapo.
Dispelling the notion that the long-running disagreement he has with Obasanjo is personal, Soyinka said his motivation is the desire that those he described as cause of the nation’s problems do not continue to recycle themselves as the solution.
He also dismissed Obasanjo as a hypocrite for denying that he did not have a hand in the third term agenda in 2006.
Said the playwright: “I remember I was invited to a conference in Germany around the time the third term game was unfolding in Nigeria. Then, I received this frantic call from officials at the Nigerian embassy who confided in me that they had been told to prepare for Obasanjo’s third term in office. They expressed fears that should it succeed, the country might be plunged into a serious crisis. They were of the view that I could use my leverage to talk to him or help mobilise public opinions to dissuade him.
“At the conference proper, I made sure I continually made poignant innuendos in the direction Obasanjo sat that day. But, typically, he kept shrugging his shoulders and looking the other way.
“But when the opportunity came for a closer interaction at the dinner, I pointedly told him that ‘Obasanjo, you know you cannot try third term’. Suddenly, he charged back at me, saying, ‘Wole, you only have one vote!’ I remember the Nigerian envoy then to Germany, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, jovially remarked that, ‘Ah, Mr. President, Wole Soyinka has more than one vote o. You know when he says anything, people listen across the world.’
“As soon as Obasanjo left the venue, I told Adeniran that ‘with what you’ve just said, be sure you’ve lost your job’. True, soon afterwards, Adeniran lost his job.”
Corroborating Soyinka, Falana said contrary to Obasanjo’s continued denial, the former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice alluded in her book to how the former Nigerian leader prevailed on George Bush to support his third term bid. This, Falana said, Obasanjo never refuted.
On the parlous energy situation in the country, Soyinka recalled that Obasanjo did not only frustrate Ige but also humiliated him.
He said: “This was a man who said after Bola Ige died that we put somebody there, Bola Ige who did not know his left from right. He owes Bola Ige for maligning him, after humiliating him after sabotaging his genuine efforts to transform the power sector. It was sabotage and nothing less than a terrorist act against the electricity supply of the country.
“Bola Ige was frustrated and his works sabotaged. In fact, he had done his homework before he took office. He summoned a group of experts and mapped out the transformation of the sector. But, he was sabotaged from the inside. Bola Ige asked Obasanjo to remove one Suleman Bello, who was the managing director of the corporation then. The consequences we are suffering today. Obasanjo collaborated and protected the system headed by Mr. Suleman Bello. I dare Obasanjo to meet me one on one on any podium to debate the power project.” GIST FROM GISTMORE http://gistmore.com/obasanjo-knelt-atiku-2003-professor-wole-soyinka 33 Likes 3 Shares
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Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by G1STMORE: 1:49am On Aug 03, 2018 |
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Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by tomakint: 2:00am On Aug 03, 2018 |
Our own Baroka, Oluwole Soyinka drops the bombshell and I just hope it won't further dent the public image of Obasanjo more as the jester he is. Soyinka really prepared himself for this like he promised he will do during the M.K.O Abiola's posthumous GCFR award 56 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by iammo(m): 2:12am On Aug 03, 2018 |
Yoruba destroying yorubas since the days of awolowo and akintola ![undecided](https://www.nairaland.com/faces/undecided.png) , Yoruba ronu, its funny how tinubu an ally of MKO is teaming up with same Buhari that got the juiciest apointement under abacha, while throwing jabs at obasanjo. Same obasanjo that gave back power to shagari a man from sokoto through democracy and Buhari and co(abacha and Ibb) dethroned through coup de tat, same obasanjo that came back home to confront abacha on MKO's denial to power when Buhari conveniently choose to keep quiet and become PTDF chairman, same obasanjo that was imprisoned while wole Soyinka was in exile. Professor Soyinka, northern youth are mocking you, they see you as someone who disrespect his own to promote others, no matter what they never disrespect their own, they may disagree but never ridicule their own. Ti eyan ba ta ara ile e lopo to ba di owon ko ni ri ra 157 Likes 21 Shares |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by rezky(m): 2:12am On Aug 03, 2018 |
;DBaba Oya shw ur face O...! 2 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by MANNABBQGRILLS: 2:28am On Aug 03, 2018 |
What can we call this?!
Shameful! 5 Likes 3 Shares |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by donolatunji(m): 2:54am On Aug 03, 2018 |
Hmmmmmm... agbawo to loud ju shisha lo. love that one.
I can still see that indispensable grudge in you for that ex-gcfr,elder statesman, and I see the message and well no message could have been any clearer.
anyways let's forgive and forget,well OBJ might been a world class looter back then ..but iyaff change cuz God ave forgiven all his sins and lastly he has become a soul winning Evangelist. #somebody praise master Jesus! 4 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by dPriv: 3:19am On Aug 03, 2018 |
iammo: Yoruba destroying yorubas since the days of awolowo and akintola , Yoruba ronu, its funny how tinubu an ally of MKO is teaming up with same Buhari that got the juiciest apointement under abacha, while throwing jabs at obasanjo. Same obasanjo that gave back power to shagari a man from sokoto through democracy and Buhari and co(abacha and Ibb) dethroned through coup de tat, same obasanjo that came back home to confront abacha on MKO's denial to power when Buhari conveniently choose to keep quiet and become PTDF chairman, same obasanjo that was imprisoned while wole Soyinka was in exile. Professor Soyinka, northern youth are mocking you, they see you as someone who disrespect his own to promote others, no matter what they never disrespect their own, they may disagree but never ridicule their own Sensible comment. 60 Likes 4 Shares |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by sarrki(m): 3:22am On Aug 03, 2018 |
iammo: Yoruba destroying yorubas since the days of awolowo and akintola , Yoruba ronu, its funny how tinubu an ally of MKO is teaming up with same Buhari that got the juiciest apointement under abacha, while throwing jabs at obasanjo. Same obasanjo that gave back power to shagari a man from sokoto through democracy and Buhari and co(abacha and Ibb) dethroned through coup de tat, same obasanjo that came back home to confront abacha on MKO's denial to power when Buhari conveniently choose to keep quiet and become PTDF chairman, same obasanjo that was imprisoned while wole Soyinka was in exile. Professor Soyinka, northern youth are mocking you, they see you as someone who disrespect his own to promote others, no matter what they never disrespect their own, they may disagree but never ridicule their own Omo Ibo shut up 46 Likes 6 Shares |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by sarrki(m): 3:22am On Aug 03, 2018 |
dPriv:
Sensible comment. Omo nna shut up 21 Likes 4 Shares |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by iammo(m): 3:31am On Aug 03, 2018 |
sarrki:
Omo Ibo shut up Ibadan mo ti wa padi mi, I know my agbole very well, counter my arguement don't shut me up sir 91 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by sweetmusic12: 4:01am On Aug 03, 2018 |
So many things going on in this country. We need encouraging news ojere. Seems our leaders has forgotten the main purpose of democracy. |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by SolutionMee: 4:23am On Aug 03, 2018 |
Picture evidence please |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by REDshouse(m): 4:28am On Aug 03, 2018 |
All this we know me woke Soyinka.... Cos he (obasanjo) has never denied HR.. 1 Like |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by BlueRayDick: 5:36am On Aug 03, 2018 |
iammo: Yoruba destroying yorubas since the days of awolowo and akintola , Yoruba ronu, its funny how tinubu an ally of MKO is teaming up with same Buhari that got the juiciest apointement under abacha, while throwing jabs at obasanjo. Same obasanjo that gave back power to shagari a man from sokoto through democracy and Buhari and co(abacha and Ibb) dethroned through coup de tat, same obasanjo that came back home to confront abacha on MKO's denial to power when Buhari conveniently choose to keep quiet and become PTDF chairman, same obasanjo that was imprisoned while wole Soyinka was in exile. Professor Soyinka, northern youth are mocking you, they see you as someone who disrespect his own to promote others, no matter what they never disrespect their own, they may disagree but never ridicule their own Which kind yeye talk be this now? Are u for real? So u think Obasanjo achieved more for the country by being in prison than the great prof Wọlé Soyinka did with his radio Kudirat?....smh... Which kind yeye Yoruba ronú? Wọlé Has always called Obasanjo out for failing Nigeria when he could've United us all and the only thing u can come up with is Yoruba ronú.... ![angry](https://www.nairaland.com/faces/angry.png) They are giving you fact of how Condoleezza rice and others attest to his selfishness of wanting to endanger by contesting for a third term not entrenched in the constitution and the only thing we should tell them is Yoruba ronú...Abi? 78 Likes 7 Shares |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by SarakiBukola: 5:56am On Aug 03, 2018 |
iammo: Yoruba destroying yorubas since the days of awolowo and akintola , Yoruba ronu, its funny how tinubu an ally of MKO is teaming up with same Buhari that got the juiciest apointement under abacha, while throwing jabs at obasanjo. Same obasanjo that gave back power to shagari a man from sokoto through democracy and Buhari and co(abacha and Ibb) dethroned through coup de tat, same obasanjo that came back home to confront abacha on MKO's denial to power when Buhari conveniently choose to keep quiet and become PTDF chairman, same obasanjo that was imprisoned while wole Soyinka was in exile. Professor Soyinka, northern youth are mocking you, they see you as someone who disrespect his own to promote others, no matter what they never disrespect their own, they may disagree but never ridicule their own Only a mentally handicapped person would support his tribesmen even when they commit crime.
Yoruba are more intelligent than that. That's why they are high achievers
Keep your advice for your people with their caste system.
133 Likes 14 Shares |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by SarakiBukola: 6:06am On Aug 03, 2018 |
iammo: Yoruba destroying yorubas since the days of awolowo and akintola , Yoruba ronu, its funny how tinubu an ally of MKO is teaming up with same Buhari that got the juiciest apointement under abacha, while throwing jabs at obasanjo. Same obasanjo that gave back power to shagari a man from sokoto through democracy and Buhari and co(abacha and Ibb) dethroned through coup de tat, same obasanjo that came back home to confront abacha on MKO's denial to power when Buhari conveniently choose to keep quiet and become PTDF chairman, same obasanjo that was imprisoned while wole Soyinka was in exile. Professor Soyinka, northern youth are mocking you, they see you as someone who disrespect his own to promote others, no matter what they never disrespect their own, they may disagree but never ridicule their own Keep your advise to your own people.
Let me remind what Ojo Maduekwe said when Alex Ekwueme wanted to contest vs OBJ for PDP Presidential primaries :
"Any Igbo who wants to be President is out of his mind".
Nnamdi Kanu : "99% of all Igbo women are prostitutes"
Ralph Uwazurike : "Igbo tribe is the most foolish in the world"
These are real quotes that can be verified online. Any yeye MOD that deletes this is a bigot.
Cc Seun -you have some biased staff 49 Likes 3 Shares |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by Metuh: 6:19am On Aug 03, 2018 |
This is the reason Obasanjo never wanted Atiku to be the President. ![grin](https://www.nairaland.com/faces/grin.png)
Yorubas don't want to ever believe that their Ebola Ewu prostrated like a house boy for Atiku.
Buhari is going home to Daura. 5 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by Borderless: 6:28am On Aug 03, 2018 |
Stopping being dumb, it's simply called lobbying! |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by 989900: 6:42am On Aug 03, 2018 |
iammo: [s]Yoruba destroying yorubas since the days of awolowo and akintola , Yoruba ronu, its funny how tinubu an ally of MKO is teaming up with same Buhari that got the juiciest apointement under abacha, while throwing jabs at obasanjo. Same obasanjo that gave back power to shagari a man from sokoto through democracy and Buhari and co(abacha and Ibb) dethroned through coup de tat, same obasanjo that came back home to confront abacha on MKO's denial to power when Buhari conveniently choose to keep quiet and become PTDF chairman, same obasanjo that was imprisoned while wole Soyinka was in exile. Professor Soyinka, northern youth are mocking you, they see you as someone who disrespect his own to promote others, no matter what they never disrespect their own, they may disagree but never ridicule their own[/s] 10 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by nairavsdollars(f): 7:05am On Aug 03, 2018 |
Is this the rubbish revelation Wole Soyinka promised to make about Obasanjo that will shock Nigerians? SMH and spits 2 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by Chemcrown: 7:05am On Aug 03, 2018 |
iammo:
Ibadan mo ti wa padi mi, I know my agbole very well, counter my arguement don't shut me up sir one thing you should acknowledge the Yoruba for is their ability to speak the truth irrespective of whose horse is gorge. I believe your mother or father as a respective Yoruba/Ibadan man will not spare you for stealing instead of protecting you under the concept of "omo wa ni". If WOLE SOYINKA is saying the truth, he is a typical Yoruba man and kudos to him, otherwise, he is agbaya. 42 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by NCP: 7:17am On Aug 03, 2018 |
SarakiBukola:
Only a mentally handicapped person would support his tribesmen even when they commit crime.
Yoruba are more intelligent than that. That's why they are high achievers
Keep your advice for your people with their caste system.
- SarakiBukola, 3 August 2018. 2 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by abokibuhari: 7:21am On Aug 03, 2018 |
Atiku made a big mistake that cost him so much ... 3 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by iammo(m): 7:26am On Aug 03, 2018 |
Chemcrown:
one thing you should acknowledge the Yoruba for is their ability to speak the truth irrespective of whose horse is gorge. I believe your mother or father as a respective Yoruba/Ibadan man will not spare you for stealing instead of protecting you under the concept of "omo wa ni". If WOLE SOYINKA is saying the truth, he is a typical Yoruba man and kudos to him, otherwise, he is agbaya. Look I never said truth can't be said, but northern elders forum or arewa consutative forum would rather go into a closed door meeting to thrash out issues and differences. Do you think if a negotiation was to take place with Yoruba and north or other tribe obj may not represent us 3 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by iammo(m): 7:42am On Aug 03, 2018 |
SarakiBukola:
Keep your advise to your own people.
Let me remind what Ojo Maduekwe said when Alex Ekwueme wanted to contest vs OBJ for PDP Presidential primaries :
"Any Igbo who wants to be President is out of his mind".
Nnamdi Kanu : "99% of all Igbo women are prostitutes"
Ralph Uwazurike : "Igbo tribe is the most foolish in the world"
These are real quotes that can be verified online. Any yeye MOD that deletes this is a bigot.
Cc Seun -you have some biased staff
Mr saraki wanna be, speak the truth always but never use your "truth" as a weapon to destroy others. In case you don't know, tarnishing obasanjo's person would not reduce anything to him, he still has his foreign contact intact, if the north and south still want to forge a deal he might still be among the delegates, why can't wole soyinka contact him directly or through egba kings and elders to thrash out differences. They would still use a Yoruba man to cut tinubu to size, but I believe we can do better 6 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by SarakiBukola: 7:47am On Aug 03, 2018 |
iammo:
Mr saraki wanna be, speak the truth always but never use your "truth" as a weapon to destroy others. In case you don't know, tarnishing obasanjo's person would not reduce anything to him, he still has his foreign contact intact, if the north and south still want to fudge a deal he might still be among the delegates, why can't wole soyinka contact him directly or through egba kings and elders to thrash out differences. They would still use a Yoruba man to cut tinubu to size, but I believe we can do better Calling a thief a "criminal" or "barawo" or "ole" is destroying him?
No wonder Africa is so backwards when we have people like you as the majority 26 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by iammo(m): 7:52am On Aug 03, 2018 |
BlueRayDick:
Which kind yeye talk be this now?
Are u for real? So u think Obasanjo achieved more for the country by being in prison than the great prof Wọlé Soyinka did with his radio Kudirat?....smh...
Which kind yeye Yoruba ronú? Wọlé Has always called Obasanjo out for failing Nigeria when he could've United us all and the only thing u can come up with is Yoruba ronú.... ![angry](https://www.nairaland.com/faces/angry.png)
They are giving you fact of how Condoleezza rice and others attest to his selfishness of wanting to endanger by contesting for a third term not entrenched in the constitution and the only thing we should tell them is Yoruba ronú...Abi? I hope when you realise that you're been used like akintola to destroy awolowo we would speak up in one voice and settle our differences indoor. I maintain obj has short commings, but you can never take away things he did from been major comander of comando forces in nigerian civil war, the first soldier to return power to civilian, the man who made free education compulsory in other region, the man who brought gsm to Nigeria, he canceled and repayed debt incured by buhari ibb abacha regime, while still leaving an healthy foreign reserve 3 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by iammo(m): 7:57am On Aug 03, 2018 |
SarakiBukola:
Calling a thief a "barawo" or "ole" is destroying him?
No wonder Africa is so backwards when we have people like you as the majority You convict a thief with solid evidence, only babaric African call an unconvicted person a criminal 2 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by SarakiBukola: 7:59am On Aug 03, 2018 |
iammo:
You convict a thief with solid evidence, only babaric African call an unconvicted person a criminal Okay. OBJ used $6 billion to provide light.
It's obvious you can now see with it.
Some people have factory-fitted stupidity. They are non-salvageable. Better left to remain like that since it's second nature 14 Likes
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Re: Wole Soyinka: Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 by 36pripa(m): 8:04am On Aug 03, 2018 |
Not mentally handicapped, I think morally handicapped would be more appropriate. SarakiBukola:
Only a mentally handicapped person would support his tribesmen even when they commit crime.
Yoruba are more intelligent than that. That's why they are high achievers
Keep your advice for your people with their caste system.
5 Likes 1 Share |