by Kolapo Olapoju

Former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba has accused former president, Olusegun Obasanjo of lying in his book, ‘My Watch’, where he claimed to have had little knowledge of the ‘Third Term agenda’ when he was president.

Osoba revealed that Obasanjo actually canvassed for it, by begging the leadership of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to support his tenure elongation plan, while also accusing the former president of allegedly rigging out Alliance for Democracy governors in the 2003 governorship elections.

The SDP chieftain made the comments, while acting as the chairman at the launch of a book titled: ‘Watch the watcher: A book of remembrance of the Obasanjo years’ by Yinka Odumakin’.

He said: “The Watcher (Obasanjo) wrote a book which Wole Soyinka has given his verdict. I am also going to give my verdict when I write my book. That he (Obasanjo) does not know about the pact with the AD governors is far from the fact. To correct him, it was July 2002, he (Obasanjo) came to the graduation at UNILAG, where we met at the office of the old Head of State. It was there that he almost went on his knees that we, the AD governors, should support his Second Term ambition.”

“We (AD governors) told him that we were not the founding fathers of AD. We told Abraham Adesanya but he said he would never go to Abuja. He later agreed that he would meet us at the presidential lodge. Abraham Adesanya never met him at Abuja but at the slightest notice Obasanjo came to Abuja. Adesanya told him (Obasanjo) that he heard he was going to ambush us (AD governors). Present that day was Bishop Gbonigi, the Awujale and Cornelius.”

“I am shocked and surprised that he wrote in his book that he knew nothing about the Third Term Agenda which he said God would have given him if he had asked.”

Furthermore, Osoba expressed utter shock at many of the content of the book, saying “It is an event to put the records straight”.

He said: “Many aspects of the book written by President Olusegun Obasanjo need correction. He was at the centre of all the negotiations to broker a political agreement between Alliance for Democracy and the Peoples Democratic Party in 2003.”

“For him to say he knew nothing about it, I totally disagree with him because the final meeting with him was attended by highly placed Nigerians, a highly placed royal father, the Awujale, Pa Adesanya, Bishop Gbonigi, Bishop Ladigbolu, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, all the governors and a host of others.”

“For him (Obasanjo) to say that he knew nothing about the arrangement between AD for which he aborted and rigged the election is totally incorrect. The book he wrote, is too voluminous, I don’t want to comment on other aspects because it is a very heavy book to read,” Osoba added.

Kolapo Olapoju