“That was part of the nature of the job. In the case of Umaru’s illness, it took me by surprise because I had concluded that all was well, judging from his medical report that I requested and he submitted to me and the specialist advice I received from it. The report said that once he was off dialysis it would mean that he had had a transplant or treatment that had caused his kidneys to work as normal.
“Before he went to Germany, after being rushed to the National Hospital in Abuja, he phoned to tell me that he was going out of the country for medical reasons. What he did not reveal was the nature of his illness. I, however, became somewhat apprehensive when I learned that he was placed on dialysis that night. The persistence of the illness, and the cover up, caused me more apprehension especially when he abandoned Germany for Saudi Arabia. I never heard anything from him after that. The story I heard about his visit to Saudi Arabia was awkward. He did not inform his deputy as to how to manage things in his absence.
“On arrival in Saudi Arabia he was wheeled into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and for at least forty-eight hours nobody was in communication with him as far as the governance of Nigeria was concerned. What it meant was that for that period of time, Nigeria had no government. What a great pity! I wanted to know more about the exact medical condition of Yar’Adua, the president of Nigeria.
“I realised that a number of countries would know for sure; among them would be Germany, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UK, France, Israel and maybe Russia. I decided to indirectly check with the ambassadors of these countries. What I heard did not allay my fears. One said, ‘Your President is surely not too well’. Another said, ‘We believe he would be able to cope.’ Both were diplomatic answers, but one was more so than the other.
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“At that point, I was left in no doubt that the arrangement made was shoddy, tardy, unpatriotic, selfish, and reckless. No nation should be left hanging in such a manner. I subtly campaigned for the emergence of Jonathan as acting president to take the country out of tenterhooks.
“I also publicly made the point that if you accept responsibility for a job and, due to no fault of your own but due to circumstances beyond your control, you are incapacitated to the extent that you can no longer perform to your own satisfaction or to the satisfaction of those you are supposed to serve, morality, duty, responsibility, honour, good sense, and patriotism demand that you act appropriately.
“At the same time, as debates were going on in the media as to what should or should not be, I was consulting genuine and objective leaders of thought regarding the way to go. At that stage, almost everybody realised the position of the constitution and recommended that we stuck to its provisions. Jonathan became acting president by the action of the National Assembly.”
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10 comments
Typical OBJ. Blame every other person but yourself. smh.
Obasanjo was just second to gods at the time-Who dare challenged his choice of who succeeded him? He knew very well that Late Yar’adua was not too strong to shoulder the burdens of Presidency of the country at the time. Here is a country where you fight corruption as if you are fighting daemons; where you fight political oppositions as if they are evils from strange lands and fight institutional malfeasance as if the country is cursed. Everyone, even a baby, knew that the Late President Yar’Adua was not just fit, health-wise, to step into the ‘over-sized’ political shoe OBJ was leaving behind. In my opinion, OBJ was just hellbent to reward the family of his late 2nd-in- Command, Musa Yar’ Adua, who incidentally was older brother of Umaru Yar’Adua. For records, the former retired from service at the age of 37! Umaru Yar’adua wouldn’t have lied to OBJ about his states of health, as he would have chronicled in his launch-halt memoir. The Late Umaru Yar’Adua was a very just man- I am bold to say this.
Obj is a — mental case—suffering from -the spirit of womanizing—what is there to learn in that yeye book—-in the first place—–? Nothing—His daughter was paid by Jonathan to insult him—meaning he is not a good father——————he is supposed to be in an asylum-An old peoples home—perhaps—if yr own daughter can be paid–to abuse–u—-without having the fear of God in her——-then something must be wrong with u the father—If– that is not d highest level of madness—then tell me what it is—Besides—why did he refuse to talk about odi ati Zaki Ibiam-or -how bola Ige was assassinated——in his government—-the June 12 debacle–Those are the types of things real 9jas yearn to know more about daily—Nothing on the oil industry———-how he shared–the oil wells with Lukman -d TAM contracts he split with Emeka Offor—Refused to let us into-all those areas——-haba baba-Iyabo-why were Abiolas killed by those who released him from prison?———-Aware 4 Abiola and his June 12 debacle Obj would nave have become president———again———–Yet he refused to touch that topic with a 200 kilometer pole— in his janjaweed—–memoirs penned for APC——- See the thing is that he wrote that book to destroy Jonathan ati Atiku period——-Nothing on Bakassi also———only an insane Nigerian would trouble his soul to read such rubbish————————-let him tell us how sweet his sons wife tasted while he was in bed with her– Was it Jonathan that arranged to have him have sex with his sons wife—also?——————–since its the tradition among the Yorubas–according to him- to sleep with the wives of their children————-its guilty conscience that is troubling his dirty smelly vindictive soul—————–nothing else—-
Haba! this is unfair. Even if Obasanjo had taken your wife, i think your comments are too sensational and base. You should not have thrown caution to the wind in addressing a former president. Whether we like it or not, Obasanjo is still a phenomenon. His record in tact and and temerity is still nonparallel. He may have his moral failures but for once let’s appreciate his contribution to this great country. For me, I think he really means well for Nigeria. And I think we should appreciate this “new” revelation.
Every mortal has a matter to grind with morality. That nobody knows about your secret deals does not make you more holy. We all should be humble enough to accept the fact that as humans we have our failings but the beauty is that we have a God who forgives if we are willing to repent. Let Obasanjo be. But I think he should be commended for his yet to be released memoirs
A popular writer once wrote a piece of dictum that I love so much.He said,”Never mind who you praise,but careful who you blame. You may fall a thousand times yet nobody would call you a failure untill u say someone pushed you”.
Obasanjo is still the best president Nigeria has ever had. You guys should stop speaking ill about him
If OBJ had informats in Atiku’s camp, how come he didn’t use the same strategy of Umaru Yaradua.
He used it, but instead killed the man slowly. Have you forgotten that Prs Yaradua inherited his kitchen cabinet?
OBJ is d problems of dis country. Jonathan Gudluk congrat in advance PRESIDENT 2015.
Ha…aaba! The ever blameless and self righteous OBJ. Remember it’s evil to reproach a dead person. This was the same way you serially reproach lates MKO, Abacha and now late Yar’Adua because they are not alive to say their own side of the stories. Anyway, those who were close enough to him know the that the latest medical he gave you and which you consulted with specialist was very clear about his health condition. you literally coerced and dragged him to Presidency for your own selfish end which shall never materialize as God Almighty is using Jonathan, your Plan B, to repay back all the evils you have sown.
For any serous minded reader, the comment below by ‘burning spear’ says it all about your book.