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Obasanjo Knelt Down For Atiku In 2003 -Wole Soyinka

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Former 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 thi

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Ex-Minister Nnaji Resigns to “Protect Integrity,” Denies Forgery Claims

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Former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, has stepped down from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, citing the need to safeguard his integrity and prevent distractions to the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Presidency confirmed Nnaji’s resignation on Tuesday, following heightened public scrutiny over allegations of certificate forgery and inconsistencies in his academic records.

In a statement released the same day, Nnaji said his decision came after “careful reflection and consultations with family, associates, and well-meaning Nigerians.” He described the claims as part of a “sustained campaign of falsehood” that he believes is politically motivated, aimed at undermining both his character and office.

“These baseless allegations and media distortions have caused personal distress and begun to distract from the important work of the ministry and the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.

Nnaji emphasized that his resignation should not be interpreted as an admission of guilt, but rather as a personal choice to uphold due process and allow judicial proceedings to take their course.

“I cannot, in good conscience, allow these distractions to overshadow the noble objectives of the Tinubu administration,” he added, reaffirming his decades-long record of dedication and service.

Appointed in August 2023, Nnaji’s tenure ended amid investigations into alleged procurement irregularities and a public dispute with the Enugu State Government over the certificate forgery allegations.

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Gov AbdulRazaq Blames Saraki, PDP for Kwara’s Security Woes — Cites 2018 Offa Robbery

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Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has blamed the deteriorating security situation in the state on the legacy of the 2018 Offa bank robbery, linking the incident to the leadership of former Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking with journalists during a visit to Oke-Ode, the governor accused Saraki of “playing politics with security” and urged him to take responsibility for the tragic robbery incident that claimed 33 lives before criticising the current administration.

> “It was under PDP. Bukola Saraki bears a court statement that he is the leader of PDP in Kwara. Under his leadership, 33 people were killed in one day,” AbdulRazaq said in a viral video.

The governor further alleged that the armed gang behind the deadly robbery were Saraki’s loyalists, claiming they used “Aso Ebi of Saraki’s wedding” and vehicles branded with his name during the operation. He maintained that the PDP lacked the moral authority to challenge his government’s efforts in tackling insecurity.

In September 2024, a Kwara State High Court delivered judgement on the case, sentencing five suspects to death by hanging after finding them guilty of armed robbery and culpable homicide.
The convicts — Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye, and Adeola Abraham — were part of the gang responsible for the massacre.

Meanwhile, several communities in Kwara South and Central, including Oke-Ode, Patigi, and Marri, continue to suffer repeated attacks by armed gangs, leading to rising fear among residents and mass displacement from rural areas.

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Jonathan: Boko Haram Once Nominated Buhari for Peace Talks

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Former President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed that Boko Haram insurgents once nominated former President Muhammadu Buhari to represent them in peace negotiations with the Federal Government.

Jonathan made this known during the public presentation of Scars, a book by ex-Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.), in Abuja. He said the nomination came through one of the dialogue committees set up during his administration.

He explained that he expected Buhari, after assuming office in 2015, to leverage that unique opportunity to reach a truce with the group — but the insurgency persisted, underscoring the complexity of the conflict.

Jonathan also highlighted that Boko Haram’s access to sophisticated weapons showed foreign involvement, not just hunger or poverty. He described the Chibok girls’ abduction as a permanent scar on his presidency and urged military officers to document their experiences for future understanding.

 Boko Haram first emerged in Borno State in the early 2000s and became a full-blown insurgency after the death of its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, in 2009. In 2012, the group listed Buhari among trusted northern leaders to mediate, but he publicly declined.

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