Lamido Reveals Incident That Triggered Rift Between Yar’adua And Obasanjo

Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has revealed the key incident that caused a rift between the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua and his predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo, describing both leaders as stubborn, though in different ways.

The revelation was made in Lamido’s newly released autobiography, ‘Being True to Myself’, where he discussed his relationship with Yar’adua under the chapter dedicated to the late president’s time in office.

In the section titled “My Relationship with Yar’adua,” Lamido recounts how a memo on the 2007 presidential election, which was presented by Yar’adua to the National Council of State, played a pivotal role in the growing tensions between the two men.

Lamido shed light on the events that followed the contentious 2007 election, which remains one of the most criticized and opaque elections in Nigeria’s history.

The official final results of the poll, which have never been fully disclosed, were questioned by many, including Yar’adua himself.

The late president famously admitted that the election was flawed, prompting him to initiate electoral reforms during his presidency.

Lamido recalled, “As a governor, my relationship with Yar’adua as the president was very warm and friendly. I personally saw in Yar’adua a new beacon of hope in the emerging new Nigerian generation. He was very courageous in his approach to governance and was willing to take bold steps to introduce reforms towards good governance. One of such bold efforts was his desire to reform our electoral system. Yar’adua could also be described as stubborn; stubborn in the mould of Obasanjo, but in a different way.”

He wrote that “Yar’adua’s stubbornness manifested at our first National Council of State meeting with him as president. For those not familiar with the composition of the National Council of State, it is made up of the President and the Vice President, all state governors, former heads of state, and serving and former chief justices of the Federation, with the incumbent president as chairman. The first memo to be presented at that Council of State meeting by President Yar’adua was on electoral reforms.

“In the morning, before the council meeting, I went to the president’s office and asked him whether he had read the memo he is presenting to the council. He said, ‘Yes, Sule, I did.’ I said, ‘I suggest you read it again.’ He opened the file which contained the memo. ‘Yes, Sule, I have read it,’ he said. ‘Sir, have you noted the preamble, saying your election was characterised by “large-scale” irregularities? Sir, do you know the implication of this?’ ‘Yes’ was his reply. I said, ‘Sir, why don’t you rewrite it to “in view of the desire to reform our electoral system” rather than describing it as “irregular”? The way I see it, you are denouncing your own mandate by implication.’ But Yar’adua was unmoved.”

Lamido reflected on how he made further strenuous efforts to explain the gravity of presenting such a memo before the council.

He said he told Yar’adua, “Sir, in the Council you are going to chair, President Obasanjo, who conducted your election, is there; the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN Katsina-Alu, who cast the winning vote, the tie-breaker, to uphold your election at the Supreme Court, is there; and yet you described the election as massively irregular? What do you think of their honour and integrity?”

Again, Yar’adua remained unfazed, which led Lamido to leave the president’s office “in utter bewilderment and more confused”, though not before telling him, “If your election was irregular, mine was free, fair and transparent.”

He continued, “When the Council convened, President Yar’adua read the memo, describing his own election as being ‘massively irregular’. I looked across the Council and observed the utter shock and bewilderment of President Obasanjo and Justice Katsina-Alu. I turned my gaze to President Yar’adua, who appeared unconcerned and totally indifferent to the thick atmosphere in the Council. I think that memo may have been the linchpin in the rift that blew open between President Obasanjo and President Yar’adua.”