How I Succeeded in Stopping Obasanjo's Third Term Bid, Former Senator Reveals
- Senator Ken Nnamani has in his new book opened up on the major role he played in stopping Olusegun Obasanjo's third term bid
- The former lawmaker said he strategically sacrificed his position for re-election into the National Assembly to achieve this
- Nnamani said a lot of promises including cash gifts were made to Senator and members of the party to support Obasanjo's ambition
A former lawmaker and 2005 to 2007 president of the Senate, Ken Nnamani, has opened up on how he worked towards stopping Olusegun Obasanjo from seeking a third term as Nigeria's president in 2016.
The Cable reports that Nnamani in his new book titled, ‘Standing Strong: Legislative Reforms, Third Term and Other Issues of the 5th Senate’ said he sacrificed his senatorial ambition to ensure the former president did not succeed with a third term bid.
Source: Facebook
In an excerpt of his new book, the former lawmaker revealed that many secret meetings were held to push the Obasanjo's third term agenda at the time.
Promises made to lawmakers to support Obasanjo's third term bid
He said that even though the Senate dropped a proposed amendment of the section of the constitution on May 16, 2006, after a voice vote, his re-election was dead on arrival because he was marked as the main figure against the Obasanjo's ambition.
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He also said that he rejected all the promises of straight-ticket to the Senate offered to lawmakers who support Obasanjo's third term bid.
The former lawmaker said huge sums of money were also offered to the lawmakers back then to support the third term bid.
Taking the high road to save Nigeria
He said knowing he would not be given a balanced playing field in the party's primary he took the high road and evaded contesting.
Nnamani said:
“We lost the opportunity of continuing with a crop of lawmakers who had gained experience in the culture of legislation but who were brazenly denied their party’s ticket because they stood against autocracy. The political party system as nurtured by Obasanjo was one where the party and the governors were in the pouch of the president and from the comfort of his bedroom he decided who went where."
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a former vice president during the Obasanjo's administration has explained why he took the decision not to run against his principal's re-election bid in 2003.
Atiku Abubakar said he kicked against Obasanjo's re-election bid because he believed power should remain in the south for eight years and then can be shifted to another region.
He added that all the state governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party had at the time agreed that he (Atiku) should run for the presidency against Obasanjo.
Atiku, however, said he declined the offer despite the support promised him by the then PDP state governors across the country. He also said that he could not see himself running against the resolution of the National Executive Council of the party at the time.
In other news, Obasanjo said he has always believed in the indivisible power in the unity of Nigeria as a country.
Obasanjo also urged Nigerians at home and abroad to keep the hope of a better country alive in their heart and not dispair.
Source: Legit.ng
