Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has revealed how he intervened to prevent a possible rift between late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and his predecessor, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
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In his autobiography, Being True to Myself, Lamido detailed two incidents that he believed signaled a brewing confrontation between the two leaders.
The first, he said, was a debate in the National Assembly over the $16 billion National Integrated Power Project (NIPP). The debate was spearheaded by a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Katsina State and close ally of Yar’Adua. Lamido felt the discussion unjustly cast Obasanjo in a bad light, suggesting he had misappropriated the funds. When he raised the matter with Yar’Adua, the president dismissed it as the concern of an independent legislative body.
The second incident was more personal. Lamido recalled receiving a call from Yar’Adua’s Chief Security Officer, Tilde, who implied that Lamido was too close to Obasanjo. Offended by the remark, Lamido threatened to report the CSO to the president. Though Tilde tried to pacify him by referencing a petition allegedly filed against Lamido, the former governor stood his ground.
Angered by the situation, Lamido went to the Presidential Villa to confront Tilde directly and insisted on meeting Yar’Adua. In the meeting, he emotionally appealed to the president, urging him not to fight Obasanjo, whom he credited for Yar’Adua’s political rise. He reminded the president of the need for loyalty and gratitude.
Yar’Adua, according to Lamido, responded calmly. He summoned his Aide-de-Camp, Lt. Col. Mustapha, who confirmed that he had been instructed to attend to Obasanjo’s requests without hesitation. Yar’Adua then assured Lamido that he harboured no ill feelings toward Obasanjo.
The clarification, Lamido noted, brought him peace of mind and put the matter to rest.
