A MUST READ EXTRACT FROM OBASANJO’S BOOK MY WATCH ABOUT ATIKU. PLANT MOLES IN YOUR OPPONENT CAMPS AND THE REST IS HISTORY…
This OBJ strategy was used recently: In politics, plant moles in your opponent camps and the rest is history…
From Obasanjo’s account, it would seem that his relationship with Atiku began on a sour note:
“By
the Constitution, I had to inaugurate or prorogue the National Assembly
on June 4, 1999. The most important officer in the National Assembly is
the senate president and that office had been zoned to the South-east.
And here was where Atiku Abubakar, my vice-president, first showed his
hand and his character.
“Without seeking my view or approval, he
started planning the installation of Chuba Okadigbo as the senate
president. I did a background check on Chuba including his past as a
student and made enquiries about him in the National Party of Nigeria
(NPN) under (President Shehu) Shagari and no one would recommend him for
the post of senate president.
“I left Atiku to go on his chase
while I carried out a meticulous and detailed investigation and
background check on each senator from the South-east. The one that
appeared most appointable was Evan Enwerem. I canvassed the senate
across the board for his election and he was elected. Atiku did not
expect it and he felt sore.
“He began to strategize for Enwerem
to be removed and Chuba Okadigbo to be installed. His strategy worked
because I was at Abuja airport to receive a visiting head of state when
the news reached me that the Senate had impeached Enwerem and elected
Okadigbo. I was not perturbed. I came to understand from some senators
including Florence Ita-Giwa, who later became my Special Adviser/
Liaison Officer to the National Assembly, that Atiku distributed
US$5,000 each to some senators to carry out the ‘coup’.
“That was
the beginning of bribing the legislature to carry out a particular line
of action to suit or satisfy the purpose or desire of an individual or a
group. The National Assembly had tasted blood and they would continue
to want more. From the day I nominated Atiku to be my vice, he set his
mind not for any good, benefit or service of the country, but on
furiously planning to upstage, supplant or remove me at all cost and to
take my place.
“That was what I brought him for, but he was
impatient and over-ambitious. He was not ready to learn and to wait. His
marabout, who predicted that despite being elected as governor, he
would not be sworn in as a governor, which happened, also assured him
that he would take over from me in a matter of months rather than years.
“All
his plans, appointments of people and his actions were towards the
actualisation of his marabout’s prediction. Once I realised his
intention and programme, I watched him like a hawk without giving any
indication of what I knew and letting down my guard. I could not succumb
to the distraction, diversion and malevolence of an ambitious but
unwise deputy.
“The work in hand was more important than a
confrontational relationship with my deputy, a man over whom I knew I
had far more experience and outreach in all matters. To alert him of
what I knew he was up to, would only lead to lying, denial, more
mischievous plans and more duplicity on his part.
“He was better
managed that way. What was important was not allowing myself to be
surprised or outmanoeuvred by him. I must always seize the initiative
and know what was going on if not in his mind, but at least in his camp.
That I did very effectively.
“Sometime in the fourth quarter of
2004, an associate of Atiku came to my residence at the Aso Villa from
Atiku’s official residence. He felt uncomfortable and I tried to make
him feel at ease. Then, he settled to tell me the story of what had just
transpired in Atiku’s residence. I listened with rapt attention.
“He
went on to say that Atiku told him that for him to become the President
of Nigeria, the 2007 elections were only a formality.
“The seven
ingredients he needed for his enthronement were already in his hands.
He controlled the National Assembly because both the President of the
Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives were in his
pocket. He controlled twenty-eight out of thirty-six governors. He had
control of the media. His influence over the judiciary was overwhelming.
“What
he needed was foreign endorsement and for that he had employed two
lobby groups in the US and one in the UK. And finally, the money for the
elections was in his purse.
“When the man finished, I thanked
him without passing any comment. The man was surprised at my reaction
and asked, ‘You have nothing to say to these?’ I said that I had nothing
to say and I immediately called my ADC, Chris Jemitola, to play a game
of squash with me.
“On our way to the squash court with my ADC, I
said, ‘People at times make plans and leave God out of their plans.’ My
casual remark struck Chris and he said, ‘Sir, that was a profound
statement.’ I said that I made the statement because of what I had just
heard of Atiku’s plan. I was not convinced he had put God in his plans.
“Atiku
was confident and God was laughing. Most of Atiku’s ingredients soon
started to fall out of place one by one. The first was the party, PDP.
“He
thought I was powerless and had no clue about the execution of his plan
with his group; part of his attack on me was for national chairman of
the party to give the first salvo, then other things would follow as his
grip on the party would be firm and consolidated.
“That salvo
came in the form of a letter to me from the chairman of the party, Audu
Ogbeh, who had fully defected with (Iyorchia) Ayu to Atiku.
“The
letter, which was not the product of any issue or matter discussed with
or at any party meeting, came suddenly. When I received it, I could read
the sinister intention behind it.
“I spent that night writing my
reply and I sent it in the morning. My reply was clear. I wondered why
Atiku and his group did not realise that with my reply, the battle line
was clear or maybe they thought that the seven ingredients would remain
intact to the end.
“My assistants had moles within the Atiku
group. Anything that they planned would be reported. That was the case
after Ogbeh’s letter. They decided that Ogbeh should appear remorseful
and come with the National Working Committee to apologise to me. It was
not from their hearts, but to lure me to a ‘killing ground’.
“All pieces of information that were reported were verified because it would not come from only one informant.
“Timely
information is a very important principle of war and also of politics.
In politics, just as in war, what matters is not just your plan, but
knowledge of your opponent’s plan. Knowing their plan, I had the choice
of playing along with them or being firm, I chose the latter.
“I
told Ogbeh that my relationship with him as national chairman and me as
national leader of the party was based on mutual confidence and trust.
But with his letter, my reply and what I knew of him then, I could no
longer work with him in confidence and trust.
“There were only
two choices left for both of us in our best interest and that of the
party – he, leaves as chairman or I leave as leader of the party.
“The
following Sunday, I called at his house, which I had done on several
occasions in the past when there was an important party matter to
discuss. This time, I asked him to give me an undated letter of
resignation as the national chairman.
“I waited, he gave me but
it was wrongly addressed to me rather than to the national secretary of
the party as stipulated in the party’s constitution.
“Ogbeh
reported to his group and it was decided by them to play on and to wait
for my disgrace whenever I presented a letter of resignation not
addressed to the national secretary.
“The informants did
their job and I, once again, paid another visit to Ogbeh at his
residence. He entertained me to a meal and drink, and changed the
addressee on his letter of resignation.
“It would appear he never
reported the change to his group. When I considered it opportune and
appropriate, the letter was dated and presented to National Executive
Committee of the party, which regrettably accepted the resignation.
“With
that, whatever control Atiku claimed to have over the party began to
crumble. But he did not think so and went on to boast that if I made my
daughter the national chairman, it would be a matter of weeks not months
before he would put her in his pocket.
“I therefore had to look for a
successor chairman, who would be too big, uncompromising and inflexible
to be lured and controlled by Atiku. I found such a man in Senator
(Dr.) Amadu Ali, whom I had known many years earlier as a medical doctor
in the army…
