EXCLUSIVE: How Obasanjo made late Umaru Yar’Adua president, by Inuwa Baba

A former presidential protocol officer, Inuwa Baba, has revealed how former President Olusegun Obasanjo informed the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of his decision to make him the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate ahead of the 2007 general election.

Inuwa, who served as protocol officer to both Obasanjo and Yar’Adua, recounted the incident in an excerpt from his upcoming book titled “The Man Behind the Corridors of Power.”

According to him, the process began with a late-night summons from the Presidential Villa in Abuja. He said he was instructed to urgently bring the then Governor of Katsina State, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, to meet President Obasanjo.

Inuwa explained that upon arriving at the Presidential Villa, one of Obasanjo’s senior aides quietly hinted to him that the president had already decided to support Yar’Adua as his successor.

“He quietly called me to one side and asked, ‘Do you know why Baba said you should come with Yar’Adua?’ I replied that I did not know. He then whispered, ‘Baba wants him to be the next president,’” Inuwa recalled.

He disclosed that during the meeting, Obasanjo formally informed Yar’Adua that he had chosen him as the PDP flag bearer for the forthcoming presidential election. According to Inuwa, the president also directed him to take Yar’Adua to the Presidential Guest House immediately after the meeting to meet prominent Nigerian businessmen waiting to discuss support for the campaign.

“As we stepped out and settled back into the car, the gravity of what had just happened began to sink in. Umaru reached for my phone and called Hajia Turai. He calmly told her he had just concluded a pivotal meeting with the president and spoke about what lay ahead,” he said.

The former protocol officer said he later advised Yar’Adua to seek time to consult respected traditional rulers and elder statesmen before accepting the offer. He listed the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Kabir Usman, Magajin Garin Zazzau Alhaji Nuhu Bamalli, Dan Masanin Kano Bello Maitama Sule, Magajin Garin Kano Inuwa Wada, and Sarkin Daura Bashar among those he suggested Yar’Adua should consult.

According to him, Obasanjo agreed to the request, after which they proceeded to the Presidential Guest House where business leaders congratulated Yar’Adua in advance and began discussions on supporting his presidential ambition.

Inuwa added that the following day, they travelled to Kano where the late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, reportedly disclosed that Obasanjo had already informed some traditional rulers of his intention to support Yar’Adua as his successor.

“The Emir, visibly pleased, revealed that President Obasanjo had already informed some of them that Umaru Yar’Adua was the man he wanted to succeed him,” he stated.