Former Vice-President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has
revealed that he “blasted” his then boss, former President Olusegun
Obasanjo, over his bid to run for a second term.
Abubakar made the disclosure during an interview with a newspaper published in Hausa.
In
the interview published by an online publication on Friday, Abubakar
also disclosed that he and Obasanjo argued over his failed third term
bid. Atiku said during one of their arguments, Obasanjo gave him a Quran
to swear loyalty to him.
He said, “At first we started arguing,
and then he (Obasanjo) opened his drawer and brought out a copy of the
Quran and asked me to swear that I will not be disloyal to him. There
was nothing I did not tell him in that room. The first thing I told him
was that I swore with the Quran to defend the Constitution of Nigeria.
Why are you now giving me the Quran to swear for you again? What if I
swear for you and you go against the constitution?
“Secondly, I
looked at him and told him that if I don’t like you or don’t support
you, would I have called 19 northern governors to meet for three days in
my House in Kaduna only for us to turn our back on you?
“Thirdly,
I asked him, what are you even doing with the Quran? Are you a Muslim
that you would even administer an oath on me with the Quran? I was
angry, and I really blasted him. He asked me to forgive him and he
returned the Quran back to the drawer, and we came out.”
Obasanjo’s third term bid failed following public outcry over what many saw as unconstitutional.
Speaking
further about the controversial bid, which could have taken Obasanjo to
a record 12 years as the country’s president, Atiku said he vehemently
told Obasanjo to leave after the completion of his second term in
office.
He said, “In fact we had the same kind of altercation
when he was gunning for third term, he informed me that “ I left power
twenty years ago, I left Mubarak in office, I left Mugabe in office, I
left Eyadema in office, I left Umar Bongo, and even Paul Biya and I came
back and they are still in power; and I just did eight years and you
are asking me to go; why?” And I responded to him by telling him that
Nigeria is not Libya, not Egypt, not Cameroun, and not Togo; I said you
must leave; even if it means both of us lose out, but you cannot stay.”
Obasanjo and Atiku fell out at some point during their administration, with reports that the two did not see eye to eye.
There
were also unconfirmed reports that the two of them fell out because
Obasanjo went back on his promise to use one term in office and support
Atiku’s candidacy for the presidency after his four years. Some reports
claimed that Obasanjo had to go on his knees to seek Atiku’s support for
his second term.
Atiku denied that his former boss
went on his knees to plead for his support. He, however, said that
Obasanjo visited his residence to plead for his support.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/51235.html
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/51235.html
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/51235.html
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