How IBB Knocked Off Atiku’s Presidential Aspiration
OpenLife News reports that former Cross River Governor, Donald Duke, has revealed new details on how ex-military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, IBB, intervened to damage Atiku Abubakar’s political standing ahead of the 2003 elections.
Duke made the disclosure in a new book by Seun Oloketuyi titled ‘How to Win Elections in Nigeria’, which chronicles the intrigues of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
The Villa Meeting That Changed Everything
According to Duke, who governed Cross River from 1999 to 2007, tensions between President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy Atiku Abubakar had become severe as Obasanjo prepared to seek a second term.
He said Atiku’s political moves raised doubts about his loyalty, prompting Obasanjo to reach out to him in distress.
“I urged him to remain calm and promised to fly to Abuja the next morning,” Duke recalled.
What followed was an unusual meeting at the Presidential Villa involving Obasanjo, Atiku, Babangida and former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar. The meeting was arranged by Atiku.
I Warned You Not To Trust Your Deputy
Duke said during the meeting, Babangida reminded Obasanjo of past agreements after his release from prison and argued that it would be difficult to convince northern leaders to back Obasanjo’s re-election.
When Obasanjo asked if that was final, Babangida said there was still room for discussion. But the most dramatic moment came after.
As the meeting ended, Duke wrote that Babangida told Obasanjo he had forgotten his keys and asked him to walk back to his private study.
Alone with the President, Babangida allegedly dropped all diplomacy:
“I warned you not to trust that your deputy,” he told Obasanjo.
On returning to the others, Babangida looked at Atiku and then turned to Obasanjo:
“This one cannot rule Nigeria,” he allegedly said.
Duke said the encounter showed how deep the distrust between Obasanjo and Atiku had become and how seriously the succession battle was being discussed behind closed doors.
“It reinforced one of the lessons I learnt from my time in office: betrayal is a very crazy thing in politics.”
10 Governors Were Already Looking For Alternatives
Duke also recalled that the PDP crisis had escalated to the point where 10 governors, including himself, met with then PDP National Chairman Solomon Lar to discuss possible alternatives for the vice-presidential slot.
Background: Obasanjo-Atiku Feud Lingers
The rift between Obasanjo and Atiku has persisted for over two decades, with both men trading accusations of corruption, abuse of office and betrayal.
On July 24, Obasanjo alleged that Atiku gave the late Speaker Ghali Umar Na’Abba N5 million to begin impeachment proceedings against him during his first term.
On August 1, during a chat with Charly Boy in Lagos, Obasanjo said he regretted picking Atiku as VP.
Atiku, now the ADC presidential candidate, fired back, accusing Obasanjo of fabricating stories to favour his kinsman ahead of 2027. He said Obasanjo was bitter because he opposed the third-term agenda.
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