Chief Olusegun Obasanjo noted that the Yorubas did
not vote for him during the 1999 elections
- He said he tried to get the support of Pa Adesanya to
no avail
- The former president said after he won the election,
he appointed Pa Adesanya's daughter as minister
Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has
spoken about how Yorubas refused to vote for
him for presidency in 1999 saying Senator
Abraham Adesanya, the late Afenifere leader
made it so.
The Nation reports that Obasanjo spoke on
Wednesday, May 2 in Lagos at the 10th memorial
anniversary lecture in Adesanya’s honour.
Obasanjo said he met the late Afenifere leader to
seek his support when he was contesting for
president but Adesanya was consistent in his
rejection.
He said: “ I did not know Pa Adesanya in my early days or
in his early days in politics. I came to know him when I was
going into politics myself. So, of course, of necessity, the
paths of politicians do cross.
"I persuaded myself, as I was persuaded, to vie for the post
of president. And I decided to consult leaders all over the
country, and one of the leaders I had to meet was Pa
Abraham Adesanya."
"I remember I got his home address and phoned him. I
think the first day I called on him, that would be about
10pm. But he was waiting for me and he received me very,
very warmly. That was also the first occasion where I met
his daughter, Modupe Adelaja, who went on to become one
of my ministers.
“When I met Pa Adesanya, he did not mince words at all
and went straight to ask why I came as I am not with the
‘Afenifere and NADECO’ group.
“I told him, ‘I don’t know who is the ‘us’ you are talking
about. But, you’re a politician and I am going into politics,
and as a well-born and bred Yoruba boy, I have to pay
homage to you, I have to consult you.’
“Pa Adesanya said, ‘Hmm… but, I will not support you.’
“I said, ‘well, alright, but all the same, it must be my duty
and responsibility to inform you, to let you know that I
have been persuaded and I’m going into this. So, we parted.
As I went on in the consultation, I met him a second time
and the same thing happened. I told him I came to give him
progress report and he said again, ‘we will not support you’
and I said alright.
“Again, he asked me why I was not in their group and I told
him their group was alright but it was limited, and I believe
that we should not be limited. He told me again that they
will not support me.
“I visited him a third time; this was just before the election.
I told him I came to give him update and the third time
Baba said ‘we will not support you’. And of course, as the
results of the election turned out, I was not supported by
the Yoruba in the Southwest for the 1999 election.”
Obasanjo said he went on to appoint Chief Bola
Ige and Mrs. Adelaja as ministers without
informing Chief Adesanya that he had appointed
his daughter.
He said: “But then, Pa Adesanya did not know how his
daughter, Dupe, became a minister in my government
because I did not consult him. On two occasions when I
visited Baba, Dupe was the one who served drinks and
refreshments.
“When after the election I decided that I was going to bring
people from parties other than PDP, I decided to take Bola
Ige and Dupe Adelaja to represent AD in my government
and Baba never talked to me about it and I never talked to
him about it.
“Dupe played her role — a dutiful and diligent minister —
and I have no regret for taking Dupe and Bola Ige as
ministers in the administration that set up the present
democratic dispensation.”
Meanwhile, Obasanjo reacted to report that he
has endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari for
second term saying it was not true. He said he
has not and cannot endorse failure.
Recall that Obasanjo had written a letter asking
President Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019.
In a statement by his media aide, Kehinde
Adeyemi, on Wednesday, May 2, Obasanjo said
he has not changed his mind about his
assessment of the Buhari administration. He said
Buhari failed to redeem himself during his visit
to the US where he met with President Donald
Trump.
