After Yar'Adua became the president of Nigeria, I read somewhere (my memory of this is hazy) that Obasanjo chose him as his successor because he had noticed how different he was from the other thirty-five state governors. Abiola . Mbu: Dignity in service”, will be launched post-humously in Abuja on April 10. That was equally true of Jonathan as vice president. He said to Obasanjo and me, ‘I don’t want this job.’, READ ALSO: 8 years after: 13 touching tributes to late Yar'Adua, “If these two men never aspired to the office but were recruited to take on a responsibility as daunting as the management of Nigeria without mentally preparing for the office and having a grand vision of where they wanted to take Nigeria to, then there is a problem. The autobiography, titled “M.T. Professor Ukandi G. Damachi is a friend to US consul, long term confidant to Nigeria’s past president Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida with privy to Nigeria’s … Alamieyeseigha, now deceased, was pardoned in 2013 by Jonathan who had gone on to become vice president to Yar-Adua and then president after Yar'Adua's death in 2010. By Herald Nigeria at May 05, 2020 Nigeria News, He was really offered an appointment at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. After the June 12 elections were annulled, the Yar'Adua faction negotiated an arrangement for the inauguration of an interim government. on. Will you vote Goodluck Jonathan if he joins 2019 race? Shehu died in prison but Obasanjo survived and was released after Abacha's own death in 1998. “We are all mortals; President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua could not accomplish much, not just because he was sick, but also because he was not prepared for the demanding office of president. His inauguration marked the first time in the country’s history that an elected civilian head of state had transferred power to another. I have always maintained that all those who aspire to elected public offices need a primary profession. Duke explained the remark by saying: “It is one prophecy I wish never came to pass. Most of the time I served in public offices, I did return to my profession as a lawyer. Yar’Adua was the president of Nigeria and the 13th head of state. The vision can be scripted for you, but if you are not prepared and you have no capable team to help you follow through, it is grossly unfair. Some people regretted it while others came out looking really good”. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Donald Duke, the former Cross River state governor, has disclosed some of the intrigues that led to the appearance of Alhaji Shehu Musa Yar’Adua as the PDP presidential flag bearer and how he came to be replaced by ex-president Goodluck Jonathan as Yar'Adua's running mate. If you are called to serve, do not abandon your profession, whatever it is. “I put myself forward for the presidency in 2007. Yar’Adua died while in office as president of Nigeria in May, 2010. “So, I cannot comprehend why someone will claim politics as a profession and accept being introduced as a politician. He won an election held in April 1999 and became president. Umaru never wanted to be president. A former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the late President Umar Yar’Adua, ... How President Jonathan Became Acting President in 2010- Yar’Adua Adviser. “Personally, I was sick because of the antics of a mischievous individual, who had hoped that things would degenerate to a level that would lead to crisis and a declaration of a state of emergency. Home Nigeria News Yar’Adua was a President like no other, says Jonathan. Umaru could appear weak, but he was not, which we now know. I was exasperated and I said, ‘Look, Umaru, we have agreed on this, but it is still your decision to make.’ He said, ‘Gladly, I would think so, but I would discuss with President Obasanjo.’ I said, ‘Very well, do that and let me know.’ That was the last I heard of it. He said Yar’Adua built strong bridges of hope, love and understanding for which he became a force for national unity and positive change across the country. “Politics to me, is not a profession, it is a vocation. M.T Mbu died on February 6, 2012, leaving behind the manuscript which his family decided to publish in his honor. In broad terms, corruption is the abuse of public office for private gains. He won the dubious April 21, 2007, elections to become president. First, because his late brother, the great Tafida of Katsina, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, was … 29th May 2007 will go down in the history of Nigeria as a date a certain Umaru Musa Yar’Adua took over the mantle of leadership emerging from a … He was reported to be receiving treatment for pericarditis. He was announced the winner of the controversial Nigerian presidential poll held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 2007. Who is Nigeria's greatest president ever? In our active days, corruption like it is today, never existed. “He needed to reorganise himself and strategise. That was not the idea of the south-south presidency I championed. President Umaru Yar'Adua of Nigeria, who has died aged 58 from kidney and heart disorders, came from one of the country's important political families.His father had … Published. Politics is not a charity. Executive power is transferred to the vice-president under Nigeria's constitution when the president formally informs parliament of his absence. He also lamented over the fact that former Rivers state governor Peter Odili, who was ready to lead the nation in 2007, lost to the “antics of a mischievous individual”. In his words: “The second point I proposed to the administration of Jonathan to be tackled immediately was corruption. The rest is history. Jonathan’s message reads in part: “It has been a decade since His Excellency President Umar Musa Yar’Adua was snatched by the cold hands of death. Obituary: President Yar'Adua 6 May 10 01:33 GMT President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua became the first civilian leader in Nigeria to take over from another after winning controversial polls in 2007. President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua became the first civilian leader in Nigeria to take over from another after winning controversial polls in 2007. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app. For the President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki, he extolled the virtues of the former president who was elected in 2007 after President Olusegun Obasanjo. “However, the PDP primaries of 2006 was a fiasco of internal democracy. Later on, Obasanjo said to me that he thought I had a personality that was so strong and would be in conflict with Umaru who appeared so weak. He was announced the winner of the controversial Nigerian presidential poll held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 2007. Mr Yar'Adua never did this, but senate leader David Mark said that an interview Mr Yar'Adua carried out with the BBC's Hausa service on 12 January had effectively provided the assembly with the notice it needed. Legit.ng gathers that Mbu also stated that Jonathan could not tackle corruption and became myopic with Ijaw agenda. How Late Yar'adua Became Nigerian President - Politics - Nairaland. - A book has been released by the late M.T Mbu; in which the former minister chided former presidents Yar’Adua and Jonathan for being unprepared for the presidency, - He stated that upon assuming the presidency, Jonathan became obsessed with the Ijaw nation propaganda with a selected few, - Mbu also blamed corruption for the nation’s political and economic failures, - According to him, politics should be treated as a vocation, not a profession. In December 2006, Yar'Adua, a very dark horse indeed, emerged as the People's Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate when then President Olusegun Obasanjo imposed him on his party. - on Legit.ng TV: Leave your email to receive our newsletter, Get the hottest stories from the largest news site in Nigeria, Drop your mail and be the first to get fresh news, Atiku Abubakar reacts as former Lagos governor dies after brief illness, Check out these beautiful village mansions in Anambra causing massive stirs, people say Igbos are rich, Igbo woman sends social media into frenzy as she cruises around town with N34 million electric car, JUST IN: FG releases updated COVID-19 guidelines for Churches, Mosques, 89-year-old woman who looks 40 reveals secret of looking young despite her age, Actress Annie Idibia and daughter banter as she wears her clothes (video), Heated reactions from Nigerians as pigeons released by President Buhari refuse to fly at Armed Forces remembrance (video), NIN: NCC finally speaks on registration, says deadline stands, Super Eagles legend put smiles on people's faces as he builds world class hospital in his hometown (video), Super Eagles midfielder doubtful for friendly against Serbia. If you fight for what is your right, and you cannot protect it, it will be taken from you.”. Duke recounted how Yar’Adua never sought to be president and that the late president had contacted him on three occasions seeking his agreement to be his running mate. NewsRescue – USA Wikileaks secret cables, reveal that according to Professor Ukandi G. Damachi, Nigeria’s former president, Musa Yar’Adua was poisoned. Nigeria's president Umaru Yar'Adua has died after more than five months of battling with a heart condition. In my 2011 book, ‘Power Politics and Death’ I wrote: “…It was at the margin of the 33rd G8 summit in Germany in June 2007 that the then Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, had a brief chat with Yar’Adua. “Pastor Tunde Bakare of Save Nigeria Group, made the Senate, headed by someone from the Middle Belt, to initiate the doctrine of necessity. I said it was all spilt milk. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that former president Goodluck Jonathan described his former boss, late President Umar Yar’adua as a peacemaker who brought peace to the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Umaru Yar’Adua approached me thrice to run along with him and thrice I agreed. READ ALSO: PDP reacts to TY Danjuma's call for self defence. ... Yar’Adua was the president of Nigeria and the 13th head of state. However, Umaru Yar’Adua, with obvious nudge and encouragement by OBJ, won the PDP’s nomination in November 2006, and was elected in 2007 as … The third time, he came with Ibrahim Shema, who later became governor of Katsina State, asking me again. A Yoruba man, Olusegun Obasanjo influenced his nomination as vice president; Dora Akunyili, an Igbo woman, intervened in the Federal Executive Council for the transfer of power to Jonathan. Duke clarified that the serious mistake of saddling men who were unprepared with the duty of running the country is what has brought the country to its present state. Jonathan described the late Yar’adua as a peacemaker who would forever be remembered for bringing a lasting peace to the Niger Delta region. Politics is always there for you; it is not a profession, it is a calling, if you want to go into it.”. I backed out. Secondly, he said he didn’t want a repeat of the conflict he had with Abubakar Atiku, his vice president at the time.”. Politics, however, was in the blood, and Yar'Adua became involved at local level. Then, I got word from party operatives that we should go into a party convention with one candidate for unity of purpose. It does not mean a narrow agenda, rather a national service from this forgotten zone.". The report stated that: “President Yar’Adua died on the December 10, 2009 at 3.30 pm at an Intensive Care Unit at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Jeddah Saudi-Arabia. Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua was buried in his home state of Katsina Thursday, less than a day after he died in the capital, Abuja. Yar’Adua was the president of Nigeria and the 13th head of state. “Really”? Corruption is one of the leading reasons for the ongoing political and economic failures. Jonathan was made the running mate to Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in that convention. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Jonathan described the late Yar’adua as a peacemaker who would forever be remembered for bringing a lasting peace to the Niger Delta region. - on Legit.ng TV, Leave your email to receive our newsletter, Get the hottest stories from the largest news site in Nigeria, Drop your mail and be the first to get fresh news, Atiku Abubakar reacts as former Lagos governor dies after brief illness, Check out these beautiful village mansions in Anambra causing massive stirs, people say Igbos are rich, Igbo woman sends social media into frenzy as she cruises around town with N34 million electric car, JUST IN: FG releases updated COVID-19 guidelines for Churches, Mosques, 89-year-old woman who looks 40 reveals secret of looking young despite her age, Actress Annie Idibia and daughter banter as she wears her clothes (video), Heated reactions from Nigerians as pigeons released by President Buhari refuse to fly at Armed Forces remembrance (video), Tantabarun da Buhari ya saki a bikin ranar tunawa da Sojoji sun ki tashi (Bidiyo), NIN: NCC finally speaks on registration, says deadline stands, Breaking: Nigerian Air Force unveils two MI-35M helicopter gunships (photos). In the game of politics, you only engage in exclusion when you fail to fight for your rights. It is like converting a passenger on an aircraft to a pilot.”. Dr Peter Odili, our prepared candidate, was betrayed by the party hierarchy. Excerpts from the book read: “The south-south got recognition when I championed the South-South People’s Assembly. Yar Adua died on May 5, 2010 after a protracted battle with Acute Pericarditis at the age of 58; and Jonathan was sworn-in as President, following his demise. “I deliberately wanted to stay away from the administration of Goodluck Jonathan. Such incred­ulous exclamations came out from the mouths of some people that commented on my column of last Sunday; “10 Years, Two President’s Jonathan was excluding himself and his presidency was heading for precipice. Umaru is not alive today, but I did not. Such incred­ulous exclamations came out from the mouths of some people that commented on my column of last Sunday; “10 Years, Two President’s later, Yar’Adua Remains Hero”. A new election was later conducted on June 12, 1993 which was won by M.K.O. - on Legit.ng TV 06 May 2010 • 02:39 am . In his weekly article titled ‘ My Mercedes Is Bigger Than Yours’, Adesina said former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo who ruled Nigeria from 1999 to 2007; Umaru Musa Yar’adua who was President from 2007 to 2010 and his successor, Goodluck Jonathan only used the Second Niger Bridge project as a campaign promise during the 16 year reign of the PDP. In April 2007, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua contested for the position of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and won. He was announced the winner of the controversial Nigerian presidential poll held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 2007. Who is Nigeria's greatest president ever? “When Yar’Adua eventually passed the way of all mortals and an unprepared Jonathan became president, Jonathan suddenly forgot that he was the president of Nigeria and became obsessed with the Ijaw nation propaganda with a selected few. NewsRescue investigators have again uncovered another piece of evidence from a May 2010 Fresh Facts article, that suggested a fear the late president Yar’Adua’s wife, Turai had that the Yar’Adua could be poisoned.. He said: “You don’t give authority to an unwilling person, particularly in a country like Nigeria. He was dealing with his health issues and wanted to retire and go lecture in a university. The former governor discussed this in the first edition of a magazine, The Interview, published by the former group managing director of Leadership Newspapers. We campaigned for the presidency. Ambassador Matthew Mbu, a former minister of foreign affairs, has disclosed in his autobiography, that ex-presidents Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan failed in office because they did not prepare for the presidency, The Nation reports. Yar’Adua was born to an elite Fulani family, and his birthplace was an important centre of Islamic learning. Yar Adua died on May 5, 2010 after a protracted battle with Acute Pericarditis at the age of 58; and Jonathan was sworn-in as President, following his demise. He continued: “The obsession of Jonathan with certain characters kept me away from the presidency. The mental preparation is absolutely important. Yar'Adua was leading the SDP presidential field before results were annulled. Mr Yar'Adua never did this, but senate leader David Mark said that an interview Mr Yar'Adua carried out with the BBC's Hausa service on 12 January had effectively provided the assembly with the notice it needed. Jonathan, on the other hand, had just been re-elected to be governor of Bayelsa and when he was picked, he was not so pleased. Nov. 20, 2013. On November 23, 2009, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua became very ill and was flown overseas to Saudi-Arabia. After the 2007 resolution that made the late Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan the PDP aspirants for president and vice president, Duke was cited as saying that Nigeria would regret the decision. Yar’Adua was a President like no other, says Jonathan. Atiku said, “The late President Yar’Adua was a man I was closely connected to. There is a story making the rounds that I rejected it.”, READ ALSO: 10 amazing photos of late Umar Musa Yar'Adua, “I never did. Mbu also blamed corruption for the nation’s political and economic failures; and stated that politics should be treated as a vocation, not a profession. At that point, it was inconceivable that I would win the primaries; I would only spend money and still lose. Man who might have become president instead of late Yar’Adua opens up Donald Duke, the former Cross River state governor, has disclosed some of the intrigues that led to the appearance of Alhaji Shehu Musa Yar’Adua as the PDP presidential flag bearer and how he came to be replaced by ex-president Goodluck Jonathan as Yar'Adua's running mate. So, why the obsession with a myopic agenda based on Ijaw propaganda? August 29, 2020 Editor Latest, Politics Comments Off on Buhari Did What OBJ, Yar’adua, Jonathan Couldn’t – Adesina Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity on Friday gave details of how former Presidents elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deceived Nigerians with the Second Niger Bridge project. In the last episode of of interviews with him, we challenged Femi Fani-Kayode on his complicity in Nigeria's current state. 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