‘Obasanjo told me to make him President,’ PDP chieftain reveals

Anenih made the revelation in his recently launched book, “My Life and Nigerian Politics.”

The book reads:

“We got the first notice (as PDM leaders) through Lt General Aliu Mohammed, later national security adviser, that General Olusegun Obasanjo was interested in the PDP presidential candidacy and would like PDM support.”

“Seven PDM leaders met at Bolingo Hotel that morning and agreed to support Obasanjo mainly because of his stature, inspiring role in Nigerian politics, his voluntarily handing over to civilians (Shagari in 1979) and also because of his good relationship with Shehu Musa Yar’ Adua.

“When his campaign outfit needed some strengthening and strategy, he called me on the phone in Benin from Ota one Sunday and when I came on line, he said it was Obasanjo.

“He then said: ‘Chief, I have two messages for you. The first is that you should take me to Aso Rock. How you do it, is not my business. The second one is if we win, you must be a part of my government’. I was dumbfounded. Here was a former head of state making this passionate appeal to me.

“I replied: ‘Sir, let us take the first part of the assignment and later, God will decide what happens thereafter. I told him we must obey the rules of the game and he also assured me that he would make sure that the rules of the game were followed.

“I began by arranging a dinner for the top hundred (100) politicians in this country at the place I was staying in Lake Chad Crescent, Abuja. After these invitees had all arrived, I then went to Nicon Hotel to bring him to the meeting. General Olusegun Obasanjo was surprised to see the number of cars parked around.

“I welcomed the guests after greeting round. I spoke to formally introduce General Obasanjo to the guests. I urged them to rally round him and challenged them thus: ‘If all of you put your hands behind him, there is no way he would not win the nomination on the platform of the PDP. He will simply not fail. He will win the PDP nomination and the election ultimately.”

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Obasanjo was Nigeria’s president from 1999 to 2007.