Source: THISDAY.
\nEx-PDP chairman gives fresh insight into intrigues that threw up Jonathan as VP candidate
\nBy Olusegun Adeniyi
\nFormer National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Ahmadu Ali, has provided fresh insights into the intrigues that led to the emergence of Dr Goodluck Jonathan as the presidential running mate to the late Umaru Musa Yar\u2019Adua, at the party\u2019s convention on December 16, 2006.
\nAli, a retired Army Colonel, three-time Senator, medical doctor, former Federal Commissioner of Education in the seventies and PDP National Chairman between 2005 and 2007, also made revelations on several issues, including how Jonathan preferred being Governor of Bayelsa State to being Vice President of Nigeria when he (Jonathan) was offered the job.
\nAccording to Ali, in his authorised biography that will be launched in Abuja on Thursday to mark his 82nd birthday, the trio of himself, President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Tony Anenih decided on Jonathan to checkmate the PDP Governors who were scheming to nominate another person for Yar\u2019Adua, after they had rejected the choice of the then Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili.
\nTitled, \u201cThe many colours of a rainbow: A biography of Senator Amadu Adah Ali\u201d and written by Gideon S. Tseja, a copy of which Ali personally gave THISDAY at the weekend, the former PDP Chairman also provided details of why Yar\u2019Adua got the nod to succeed Obasanjo in 2007.
\n*\u201cAmongst all the PDP governors who wanted to contest for president, he (Yar\u2019Adua) was the only one on whom the EFCC could not find any evidence of corruption or misappropriation of funds. He left over N6 billion for his successor in the state coffers while other governors left virtually nothing. He was reluctant to contest for president.\u201d* emphasis mine..MG
\nAlthough written by a third party, the recollections are that of Ali who stated in his preface dated August 22, 2016, that the effort took more than 30 years. \u201cI started jotting down episodes in the merging story of my life since 1983 when the military coup d\u2019etat of that year terminated the life of the civilian regime and the senators, amongst whom I was one, were unceremoniously booted out of office.\u201d
\nBecause of his hectic schedule, Ali said he could not bring himself into writing an autobiography until in 2008 when he finally decided to invite a university don, Gideon S. Tseja, \u201cto assist me in writing my biography.\u201d
\nWith Ali as PDP Chairman in 2006, the book captures what followed after the nomination of Yar\u2019Adua as the party\u2019s presidential flag-bearer. According to the author, Yar\u2019Adua was summoned to the basement of Eagle Square where Obasanjo, Ali and Anenih were waiting. This was what followed, going by the recollections in the book:
\nEven before the final results of the primaries were tallied, it was clear to the party leaders that Yar\u2019Adua was going to win hands down. They\u2014President Obasanjo, Chairman, BOT, Chief Anenih and the National Chairman, Dr Amadu Ali\u2014decided to shift their attention to the nomination of a running mate on the PDP ticket, the man who would be vice president if Yar\u2019Adua won the presidency.
\n\u201cCongratulations\u201d, the chairman began unceremoniously. \u201cIt is a well-deserved victory, and the party will give you all the support you need to win the presidential election.\u201d He (Ali) paused for a moment as the president and the others also gave Yar\u2019Adua their congratulations. \u201cPeter Odili will be your running mate. He came third in our search for a presidential candidate. Governor Ahmed Makarfi came second in our score. For equity, the running mate had to come from the south.\u201d
\nThere was silence as everybody waited for Yar\u2019Adua to react. Finally, looking away and avoiding the eyes of the chairman, he mumbled with his characteristic shy demeanour, \u201cThank you sir, but I would request\u2026\u201d
\n\u201cYou request what? The party produced you and the party will also produce the VP!\u201d thundered the chairman.
\n\u201cLet us try to give him time\u201d, Obasanjo tried to intervene.
\n\u201cWe don\u2019t have time sir. We need to move fast. You can never tell what mischief is being planned right now. Did you see any of the governors towards the end of the election at the Square?\u201d It was true that the governors had mysteriously disappeared when Yar\u2019Adua\u2019s victory became a certainty.
\nHe (Ali) turned to Yar\u2019Adua and continued his instructions to him. \u201cGo and write your acceptance speech. Say something like this: \u2018I would like to inform you that after due consideration and consultation with the party, I have selected Peter Odili, the executive governor of Rivers State, to run with me on the same ticket\u2019. I want a copy of the speech and make sure Peter Odili\u2019s name is on it!\u201d
\nYar\u2019Adua went away and came back with the speech as directed indicating that Peter Odili would be his running mate, but it was clear that he was not happy. Pressure was brought to bear on the president to intervene and allow Yar\u2019Adua to choose a VP he felt he could work with.
\n\u201cAmadu\u201d, said Chief Obasanjo, \u201cdon\u2019t be too harsh on the young man. Let\u2019s give him twenty four hours\u2026\u201d
\n\u201cTwenty four hours! But\u2026\u201d the chairman was going to argue.
\n\u201cI know what you mean\u201d, Obasanjo cut him off, \u201cbut let us give him twenty four hours.\u201d
\nIt had been a long day. Tired and hungry the chairman went home dreaming of eating something, taking a long drink and flipping into bed to catch some rest. This was about 1.00PM on the day of the convention.
\nMeanwhile, unknown to the president, PDP governors were holding a secret meeting of their own to influence the choice of VP candidate. Clearly, they were not in favour of Peter Odili which the party leadership was contemplating. Even before Ali could digest this information (provided by his wife), he got a frantic call from Obasanjo. He, too, had got some information about the governors\u2019 plot.
\n\u201cAmadu, come quick!\u201d
\n\u201cBut you know we have just\u2026\u201d
\n\u201cCome, please and don\u2019t argue. Quick, quick!\u201d
\nThe dream about taking some rest evaporated as Ali doubled back to meet the president at the Aso Rock Villa.
\nHe (Obasanjo) told the Senator about the governors\u2019 meeting. \u201cWe must act quickly or the governors will hijack this thing. Anenih is on his way and I have already summoned Yar\u2019Adua. If he hasn\u2019t thought of a running mate, then we must impose one on him.\u201d
\nThis had been the senator\u2019s position exactly, all along.
\nAs soon as Yar\u2019Adua arrived, the president told him without any preamble, \u201cNow, name your running mate, now, now. We don\u2019t have twenty four hours.\u201d
\n\u201cGoodluck Jonathan,\u201d he said without hesitation. He had obviously thought about it or tutored to mention the name. Immediately, Jonathan was sent for.
\nWhen Jonathan arrived a little later, the president said, \u201cWe have summoned you here to offer to you the position of Vice President. What do you think?\u2019
\nJonathan was stunned. He was obviously not expecting this and had not remotely considered the possibility. He opened his mouth as if to say something but nothing came out.
\nThe president seeing his discomfiture added helpfully, \u201cThis decision was taken after a long process. We just want to know what your opinion is.\u201d
\nFinally, Jonathan found voice, although he was disconcerted by this development.
\n\u201cWell\u201d, he began tentatively, \u201cIf I had a choice, I would prefer to remain as governor. I know the job. I know where I stopped. But this VP\u2026I don\u2019t know what it entails.\u201d After a look of disapproval from the chairman and the president, he added quickly, \u201cbut if you want me to serve in that position, I accept.\u201d
\nYarAdua turned to Jonathan and asked him, \u201cWould you like to be my running mate?\u201d
\n\u201cYes sir.\u201d
\nPresident Obasanjo turned to the Chairman and said, \u201cAmadu, take him to my parlour. The television crew are on their way for a press conference. You and Chief Anenih should stand on either side of him and let him announce the name of his running mate.\u201d
\nThe governors were still at their meeting scheming how to influence the choice of vice president when Yar\u2019Adua announced his running mate to the public in the foyer of the presidential villa. The announcement was carried Live on NTA and other networks. This put paid to the PDP governors\u2019 plot to nominate a vice presidential candidate.
\nIn a chat with THISDAY, Ali said this would be the first part of his story as he intends to write another one by himself. But the current book also details his life and career. Some of the issues dealt with in the book include the 1966 and 1975 military coups, Ali\u2019s role in the creation of Kogi State, the \u2018Ali Must Go\u2019 saga, the General Sani Abacha coup in November 1993 at a period he was in the Senate, Obasanjo\u2019s \u2018third term\u2019 bid and the defeat of Jonathan at the 2015 presidential election.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Source: THISDAY. Ex-PDP chairman gives fresh insight into intrigues that threw up Jonathan as VP candidate By Olusegun Adeniyi Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Ahmadu Ali, has provided fresh insights into the intrigues that led to the emergence of Dr Goodluck Jonathan as the presidential running mate to the late […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":7784,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7783\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}