Obasanjo’s presidency was a tragedy, says Ayo Adebanjo

Ayo Adebanjo, elder statesman and chieftain of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD), says former president Olusegun Obasanjo performed dismally while in office.

Adebanjo described Obasanjo’s presidency, which lasted from 1999 to 2007, as a “tragedy”.

He made the assertion in his autobiography titled ‘Telling it as it is’. The book was launched in Lagos on Tuesday.

Adebanjo wrote: “The man who carried on as if he was all-in-all failed woefully on all counts as President. His eight-year tenure (1999-2007) was a tragedy, His scorecard is nothing to write home about.”

He also said the former president has no “interest or sympathy for the Yoruba cause”.

Adebanjo accused Obasanjo of humiliating Obafemi Awolowo, late Yoruba leader, when he visited him upon his assumption of the role of military head of state in 1976.

He wrote in the book: “There are many incidents to show that Obasanjo was anti-Yoruba. He has no interest in, or sympathy for the Yoruba cause, he only has his own interest for everything he does. That is my conclusion, and I have copious evidence to prove it.”

Adebanjo, a proponent of restructuring, blamed Obasanjo for the disintegration of AD, saying his recruitment of Bola Ige into his administration was a major factor in the party’s eventual fate.

“As far as I am concerned, the moment Bola Ige joined Obasanjo’s government, following his (Bola Ige) loss of AD’s presidential primaries where he polled six votes against Chief Olu Falae’s 17, marked the beginning of the end for the party,” he said.

“In my opinion, these are the scenarios which led to the collapse of the AD.”