I Blocked Atiku From Becoming President — Anenih

A former Chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees, Tony
Anenih, said he blocked ex-Vice-President
Atiku Abubakar from succeeding former
President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Anenih stated this in his book, titled ‘My
Life and Nigerian Politics,’ which was
presented in Abuja on Saturday.
Anenih, who served as the Minister of
Works and Housing between 1999 and
2002, said Abubakar became too ambitious
during the build-up to the 2003 presidential
election in which Obasanjo was seeking a
second term.
“As a result of my preparations for Chief
Obasanjo’s second tenure, I stepped on the
toes of many of those who did not want
him to seek a second term. These are the
people I can now refer to as members of
the ‘G3’. These were General Ibrahim
Babangida, (ex-) Vice- President Atiku
Abubakar and the (ex-) National Security
Adviser, General Aliu Gwarzo.
“There was no other way I could have
offended the vice-president other than that
I prevented him from being PDP’s
presidential candidate in the 2003
presidential election. He erroneously
believed that he was the only politician at
the Villa and that he was better qualified
than the President. I was well ahead of him
in all his plans to prevent Chief Obasanjo
from running (for re-election).”
Anenih, however, noted that after blocking
Abubakar, the former vice-president also
ensured that he (Anenih) lost his position
in Obasanjo’s cabinet.
The former PDP BoT Chairman also
claimed that he was the one who made
Atiku second-in-command in 1999.
He said after the PDP presidential primary
of 1998, the then Chairman of the party,
Solomon Lar, recommended three
northerners to be Obasanjo’s running
mate.
The three nominees were Prof. Jerry
Ghana, Abubakar Rimi and Adamu Ciroma.
Lar was said to have told Obasanjo that
Rimi was his preferred candidate but
Obasanjo wasn’t convinced.
Anenih, according to the book, then
advised Obasanjo to pick Atiku, who had
just won the governorship election in
Adamawa State and was waiting to be
sworn in.
He added, “I asked Obasanjo whether he
would want a vice-president that would
give him absolute confidence and allow
him to sleep with his two eyes closed or
whether he would want a vice-president he
did not trust.
“He answered that he would like to sleep
with his two eyes closed. It was at this
point that I asked him: ‘What about Atiku?’
Chief Obasanjo’s answer was that Atiku
had just won his governorship election and
the law might not allow him to come on
board as his running mate.
“We both decided to get a lawyer to advise
us and Barrister Alimi Rasaq of Kwara
State was sent for. He advised us that there
was nothing in the constitution that
prevented Atiku from being his running
mate; especially as Atiku had not been
sworn in.”
Speaking at the book presentation, which
had in attendance several PDP leaders,
Anenih announced that he had quit politics.
However, former President Goodluck
Jonathan, who was a special guest of
honour, rejected Anenih’s retirement,
urging him not to abandon the PDP.
Meanwhile, the ex-minister said he
survived death after an eight-hour heart
surgery.
He stated this during a thanksgiving
service held at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria
Pro-Cathedral Church, Garki, Abuja.
He said, “There is nothing God cannot do if
you believe in him sincerely. I had a
problem with my heart. So I was subjected
to eight hours of surgery and seven doctors
were carefully selected to do that because
of their experience.
“Before the operation, the seven doctors
told the people that accompanied me (to the
hospital) that I wouldn’t make it. I heard
them.”
The event was attended by ex-Head of
State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar; ex-Vice-
President Namadi Sambo; Aliko Dangote;
Second Republic Vice-President, Alex
Ekwueme; a former Governor of Kogi
State, Idris Wada; ex-Governor of Jigawa
State, Sule Lamido; a former Governor of
Niger State, Babangida Aliyu; Prof. Jerry
Gana and others.