Atiku explains absence at book launch
Gowon, Tinubu eulogise president
By Abdulaziz Abdulaziz and Abdullahi M. Gulloma, Abuja
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, said his relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari remains cordial in spite of political differences and upheavals over the years.
Obasanjo, who described President Buhari as forthright and gentlemanly, spoke at the launch of a book: “Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria”, written by an American professor of International Studies, John N. Paden, and held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The event served as a meeting point for the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Cheif John Odigie-Oyegun and a National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, about one week after the latter accused the former of planning to wreck the party and consequently asked for his sack
Speaking at the event, Obasanjo, who appointed Buhari as federal commissioner of petroleum in 1976, recounted that the two of them had encounters which, he said, were largely orchestrated by Buhari’s strength of conviction.
Conspicuously absent at the gathering was Obasanjo’s vice, Atiku Abubakar, who explained that the invitation got to him on Monday, day of the event.
Author of the book, Professor Paden, described the publication as an attempt to introduce Buhari to international audience, since Nigerians already know their president.
He said he wanted to use the book to address issues of leadership and challenges in the country, such as national unity and security, corruption and economic meltdown, among other things.
Encomiums on Buhari
Speaking at the book presentation, former President Obasanjo, recalled: “I can tell you we have had many skirmishes up until recently, but to his credit he has not allowed that to affect our relationship which has remained intact.”
He said the book is for those who want to know about Nigeria of yesterday, today and about their present leader, and urged Nigerians to read the book for the right reasons – progress, unity and wholesomeness of Nigeria.
Obasanjo described Buhari as a forthright person, selfless in the discharge of his official duties, adding that the president usually puts in his all to discharge assignments given to him.
To illustrate his assertion that the president as an individual was not keen on material acquisitions, Obasanjo cited the example of a gold coin gift Buhari got when he attended OPEC in Saudi Arabia which he delivered to him (Obasanjo) as the then head of state.
Chairman of the occasion and former Head of State, retired General Yakubu Gowon, said, as a fighter and a man of destiny, the president deserves every word of praise and criticism that would come his way.
According to him, as a young officer, the Buhari did so well within and outside Nigeria that he was recognised both within and internationally.
“And that is why he catapulted to the top within a shortest possible time. as a combat politician, he fought to take over villa despite being told he will never see it,” he said.
On his part, former Governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Tinubu, who extolled virtues of the president, described him as a firm believer in whatever course he’s involved.
According to him, Buhari had never looked back since he signed on for the merger that produced the APC, even when not many people believed it would work.
According to him, the APC was formed as a “project for national salvation” despite plans by many to undermine it.
“Many of us invested ourselves, our heart, body, mind and soul in this project for national salvation. Many did not want it to happen and fought to undermine the good we sought to accomplish. Many others straddled the sidelines, neither completely in nor completely out, but waiting to see how the prevailing winds might blow before making their move.
“Muhammadu Buhari never wavered for one moment on this journey. Proving to be a focused leadership, he acted with single-minded determination that showed no fear or doubt in the rightfulness of the cause we pursued. I know this for an unassailable fact because I was
there with him, every step of the way, to fight against, what the realists told us, were un-surmountable odds,” he said.
Tinubu explained that the choice of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as Buhari’s running mate in the 2015 presidential election was made to debunk the negative campaign against candidate Buhari on religious intolerance.
“There was the issue of selecting a running mate and after a careful study and discussion, it was agreed that we should fill the religious balance ticket, given the sensitivity of the moment.
“Based on this conclusion, the name of a renowned professor, Yemi Osinbajo, a professor of Law and former Lagos state attorney-general during my time as governor, was proposed and accepted as running mate.
“Osinbajo was also a pastor in the largest church in the country. This is for those trying to paint Muhammadu Buhari as an intolerant religious leader,” Tinubu explained.
Tinubu, who was one of the book’s reviewers, explained that “in tracing the evolution of Buhari, the national leader, the author’s assertion that military rule is based on the power its holders can wield, while civilian rule is based on the legitimacy derived from elections, is a point with which I dare not debate.
“Buhari’s career embodies this, hence his transition from being a military ruler to being a civilian leader, who subjected himself to the rigours and uncertainty of elections four times. Thrice he patiently went to court, seeking redress from electoral manipulation.
“The author, quite accurately, remarked on the Buhari victory equation, as flowing from Northern grassroots support and coalition-building with the South west as well as with other tendencies.
“He notes that in terms of style of leadership, Buhari, as a young military head of state, was in a hurry,” he said, stressing, however, that, “ now that he is older and given his experience, he is ‘slow but steady’ in his approach to governance.”
The APC leader also expressed regret at the failed planned merger of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), his party, and the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), Buhari’s party for 2011 polls, saying, “in forming the ‘new’ party, we had three challenges.
“The first was learning the right lessons from the aborted attempt at political cooperation in 2011. Fortunately, both the ACN and CPC regretted our inability to conclude a pact in 2011.
“We agreed that there would be no recrimination over what did not happen before. We agreed there would be an intensified effort to forge the united effort that eluded us in 2011.
“In 2011, both parties wanted cooperation, but became stuck whether that should take the form of an alliance or outright merger. This difference gave rise to another one, regarding how the vice presidential candidate, who would run with the presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, would be selected.
“Despite numerous good-faiths demonstrated in attempts to resolve these issues, time ran out on finding a solution. In retrospect, we all were perhaps a bit too inflexible and did not realise the extent to which cooperation and flexibility were needed to establish the reform we all wanted.
“The result: each party went its own way in 2011. However, the talks of 2011 would foreshadow the discussions, beginning in 2013, which led to the successful merger forming the APC,” Tinubu reminisced.
Another reviewer of the book, former US Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, said it’s a mistake America is not showing enough interest in Nigeria, and not giving the country the
attention it deserves as the giant of Africa, urging it not to repeat the same mistake.
Also reviewing the book, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu, commended the president for not allowing insurgents to take over the country.
“He was the only president to defeat an incumbent who was from a party that had produced three former presidents, there was no court case to challenge the outcome of this election,” he said.
Attendees
Meanwhile, the crème de la crème of the society thronged the International Conference Centre, Abuja, venue of the launch, which was conducted amidst tight security.
All roads leading to the ICC were locked down by security agents early in the morning, with designated routes made for invited guests.
President of Chad Republic, Idris Derby, Niger’s Mouhamadu Issoufou and Benin’s Patrice Talon, were in attendance, while both their Cameroonian and Togolese counterparts, were represented by their ambassadors in Nigeria.
Top officials of Buhari administration, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, were all in attendance alongside their wives.
Also in attendance was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, and several ministers and other appointees.
Similarly, about 20 state governors were in attendance, in addition to several traditional rulers, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, and the Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.
Atiku’s absence
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has explained his absence at the book launch, saying the invitation was delivered to him on Monday, when the event was already in progress.
A statement from his Media Adviser, Mr. Paul Ibe, said: “…for inexplicable reason, the former Vice President only received his invitation today (Monday) after the event had started.
“It is on record that the invitation for the Turakin Adamawa was delivered to the Atiku Centre on October 1, the last working day of the week, after the former Vice President had travelled to Gombe to honour the invitation for the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of
the creation of creation of Gombe state.
“The former Vice President returned to Abuja on Sunday night, 2nd October. The invitation letter signed 30th September, 2016 was handed over to Atiku Abubakar today (Monday), after the programme had commenced.
“As a former Vice President well-schooled in the demands of protocol, it would have been highly disrespectful of the Turakin Adamawa to storm into the event while Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief was already seated with other dignitaries, including visiting Heads of Government to the occasion.”
