How President Yar’adua Sent Soldiers To Secure  My Safety At Abuja Airport – Peter Obi

By Adesina Soyooye

“President Obasanjo, PDP, begged the House of Assembly Members not to impeach me, an APGA Governor. He sent emissaries. And, I was in my house when I heard I won my case to claim my mandate as the elected Governor Governor. I paid not even one Naira to any Court.”

Two-term Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, in Abuja, on Monday, revealed how both Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and late Umaru Yar’adua worried about him and safety while he was battling the powers-that-be in Anambra State to keep his Governorship seat.

Obi, who was the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 Presidential Election spoke in Abuja at a Colloquium to mark the 60th Birthday of a former Governor of Imo State, who was, also, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, The Rt. Honourable Emeka Ihedioha.

At the overwhelmingly well-attended event which saw very high profile Politicians, Diplomats, Clerics and Stakeholders in the Nigerian Project present, Obi compared how then President Obasanjo handled him when he was impeached by Members of the State House of Assembly during his first term in office to what seems to be happening in Nigeria now. He headed to Court and was reinstated.

He also compared the workings of the Judiciary then and now.

Obi disclosed that when the Anambra House of Assembly Members began their impeachment moves against him, it was President Obasanjo who took it upon himself to beg them not to impeach him. Obasanjo, he said, sent emissaries, including former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, to try to dissuade the Assembly members from impeaching him.

And when he was, finally, impeached inspite of Obasanjo’s efforts, President Obasanjo called to find out about his well- being.

In comparing the situation now and then, Obi regretted that it is the President who is encouraging the impeachment of the Governor.

Talking about how the Judiciary handled his case, Obi disclosed that he paid no kobo to any Court to win his case and wondered if that is still the case now.

Obi: “I became a Governor through the Courts when President Obasanjo and Atiku were in office. I did not pay the Court One Naira. I was sitting in my house, in my office when the Court declared me winner.

“When I was being impeached, the President sent people to come and intervene on my behalf, begging the Assembly members not to impeach me. Today, the President is impeaching the person.”

For the records, at the time, Obi noted, he was of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, while Obasanjo was of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Obi, also, talked about his experience with the late President Umaru Yar’adua.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had conducted an election for the Governorship seat when Obi had stayed only about a year or less in office after reclaiming his mandate from Dr. Chris Ngige, and declared Chief Andy Uba, winner in an election Obi refused to participate in.

Obi went to Court to say he was elected for a four-year term, and that INEC had no business to conduct an election when he had not spent four  years in office. He said according to the Constitution, he was entitled to his four years in office.

He won the case and, Uba, who had been sworn-in was sacked, after only two weeks in office.

Obi said he was in London when he won the case to return to his office as Governor. He revealed that as soon as he won the case, Yar’adua, who was  President, called him immediately and asked him to come back. However, he expressed his fears that he was afraid something could happen to him if he returned immediately.

To his surprise, President Yar’adua asked him to send his flight details from London to Abuja. He did as soon as he bought his ticket. On arrival in Abuja, Obi said he was shocked that President Yar’adua had deployed soldiers to the Airport to receive him and secure his safety.

Again, for the records, the sacked Andy Uba was of the same Party with Yar’adua – PDP.