Obasanjo, Ogun State And The 2003 Elections

The author delves into the complex political maneuvering surrounding the 2003 presidential election in Nigeria, specifically focusing on the pact between the Afenifere/Alliance for Democracy (AD) and President Olusegun Obasanjo. Contrary to some perceptions, the decision to support Obasanjo was not solely the responsibility of AD governors but a collective agreement made by the Afenifere/AD hierarchy.

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Everyone knew that there was no love lost between Governors of Afenifere/AD and President Obasanjo. Even though we did not want the relationship between the state and the federal government to be antagonistic, we were not Obasanjo’s friends in any way.

Despite a history of strained relations between the AD governors and Obasanjo, the group recognized the fragility of Nigeria's nascent democracy. The author emphasizes that their support for Obasanjo was not born out of personal friendship but from a shared commitment to safeguarding the democratic process. This commitment was particularly tested when the House of Representatives, under the leadership of Ghali Umar Na’Abba, initiated an impeachment process against Obasanjo in August 2002.

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It was the attempt by the House of Representatives under Right-Honourable Ghali Umar Na’Abba in August 2002 to impeach him that thawed the icy relationship between us and Obasanjo.

This impeachment attempt, the author argues, created an unexpected opportunity to thaw the icy relationship between the AD and Obasanjo. The AD leadership and its caucus in the National Assembly decided to block the impeachment, not at Obasanjo's behest, but out of a profound concern for the nation's stability. Having experienced military rule, they were acutely aware of the potential consequences of a political crisis, including the risk of another military intervention. Their actions were aimed at forestalling such a scenario, prioritizing the preservation of democracy over partisan animosity.

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Out of our own volition, we decided that the democratic experiment in the country was too fragile for the kind of shock therapy that Na’Abba and the House of Representatives were planning to apply to it by impeaching Obasanjo.