Why Yar’Adua Was My Choice – Obasanjo

• Maintains his integrity, honesty exceptional 

Sixteen years after he boldly and unapologetically backed the late President Musa Yar’Adua as his successor, former President Olusegun Obasanjo says there are no regrets because medical advice indicated that he was fit to act as Nigeria’s President.

Obasanjo said despite knowing Yar’Adua was ill, having gone through a kidney transplant, the committee headed by late Dr Olusegun Agagu made an extensive assessment of all the aspirants then and came up with recommendations that indisputably put the former Katsina State governor on top of the list.

Specifically, the former President said of the Committee’s reports, “Their biggest argument in his (Yar’Adua) favour was that he had integrity and would not steal from the public purse.”

Obasanjo, who made the revelation in an interview with TheCable, denied insinuations that he deliberately decided to choose and support weak candidates for mere selfish interests.

Offering further insight on the late Yar’Adua’s choice as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s presidential candidate back then, the man popularly referred to as the Ota-born farmer said; “I set up a committee headed by Dr Olusegun Agagu, of blessed memory, to search for a successor. They considered many names and did an extensive assessment of all of them. They made their recommendation. Umaru was top on the list.

“Their biggest argument in his favour was that he had integrity and would not steal. The issues concerning his health were raised and I gave his medical reports to an expert for an opinion. Umaru’s name was redacted so that the expert would not know who it was and why I was seeking his opinion.”

Confidently, the Obasanjo, who first ruled the country as Military Head of State between 1976 and 1979, said; “After assessing the reports, he (Doctor) said the patient appeared to have done a kidney transplant and if that was the case, there was nothing to worry about and he would be as healthy as any other person.

“That was it. All insinuations that I knew he was going to die and that was why I supported him to be president were false. This is the true story I have told you”.

With his eight-year tenure as an elected civilian president from 1999 to 2007 coming to an end, the battle for succession saw the then Vice President Abubakar Atiku; and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili among the top contenders angling for the PDP presidential ticket.

It is on record that when rumours of Yar’Adua’s death, which turned out to be untrue, spread around the country ahead of the 2007 presidential elections, reports had it that President Obasanjo, during one of the PDP campaign rallies, put a call through to the “dead” candidate, asking loudly on speakerphone; “Umaru, are you dead?”

Interestingly, this line trended as Yar’ Adua eventually won the elections and mounted the saddle as President on May 29, 2007. However, on May 5, 2010, he died at age 58 as Nigeria’s president from what doctors termed acute pericarditis following months of speculation about his ill health.