HOW OBASANJO USED BABANGIDA TO MAKE ME DROP MY AMBITION FOR BUHARI IN 2007….. SANI YERIMA SPEAKS

Senator Yerima and former President Buhari

“President Obasanjo made sure that he brought General Ibrahim Babangida, who is still alive, and begged him for me to step down. He was in PDP and I was in ANPP.” Senator Yerima.

"Obasanjo did not want me to contest against Yar’Adua, his anointed candidate, because he knew that the ANPP primary election would be won by me".

 

Trending reports have provided a new face to real and true reasons behind the emergence of retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari as the presidential candidate of the All Nigerian People's Party, ANPP in the 2007 general elections.

Buhari's convention victory followed high wired negotiations by very influential persons who, knowing the unlikely possibilities that would play out on the convention venue and to save the face of their military comrade, emissaries were dispatched to reach out to the man who was more favoured to get the ticket of the ANPP; Ahmed Sani Yerima, the Bakura Zamfara. 

This revelation became public following the appearance of the former Zamfara state governor, as a guest on Channels Television programme titled; “Inside Sources”, and was hosted by Laolu Akande, the former spokesperson of ex-Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

During the programme, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima disclosed that he was prevailed upon, to drop his presidential ambition for President Muhammad Buhari before 2007 elections.

Yerima, a popular political figure in the north, following his introduction Shari’a law during his stint as governor, claimed that ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo begged a former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, to persuade him against running for the election.

Speaking during the interview, Yerima said before the ANPP’s national convention, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) agreed that Buhari should become the sole presidential candidate of the north and that other contestants in the region should step down.

The former governor said he was approached by the Forum to step down, adding that he told them that he would think about it.

Yerima said he dropped his ambition after Babangida requested him to step down for Buhari.

According to the former governor of Zamfara State, “President Obasanjo made sure that he brought General Ibrahim Babangida, who is still alive, and begged him for me to step down. He was in PDP and I was in ANPP.”

He said Obasanjo did not want him to contest against Yar’Adua, his anointed candidate, because he knew that the ANPP primary election would be won by him.

Yerima added, “At that time, the security report showed him, according to my information, that I had all the delegates in my hand, except Kano and Katsina, I left for Buhari, at that time.

“I had all the state chairmen of ANPP of all 36 states and Abuja supporting me. The government knew that if I got the ticket, it was going to be a very difficult task for PDP to win for Yar’Adua to become president.

“Then, Obasanjo sent an aircraft to bring IBB and requested him to please talk to me so I can step down for Yar’Adua.

“Babangida sent the late Engineer Abdulkadir Kure, the former governor of Niger state, and even the former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, they were sent to come to me and to beg me to step down.”

Asked if Buhari was aware of the underground political moves, the former governor responded in affirmation.

He said, “They (referring to Kure and Bafarawa) came to me in the night after 8 o’clock, and after greetings, I asked my people to go out, and they said IBB sent them to me. I said yes, he said you were coming.

“They said, ‘The only favour he wants you to do for him is to step down for Buhari tomorrow; the convention is tomorrow.’ I said, ‘Oh my God! Please tell him I’ve accepted; I’ve committed myself to do the favour for him.

“They said, ‘No, he said whatever your answer is, we should call him and you will tell him by yourself.’ And they called IBB and I told him, ‘Sir, tomorrow I will step down for Buhari.

“Immediately they left, I went to the national chairman, Chief Ume-Ezeoke, and I told him that tomorrow I was going to step down for Buhari.”

"He said, oh my God, and he started dancing. I didn’t know he was promised the vice presidential candidate. And that night, he told Buhari and Buhari was telling me that he didn’t believe me until I climbed the podium and announced it because they changed the programme at the convention venue, the Eagle Square.”

On how he broke the news to his supporters, Yerima said it was as he planned it at the convention venue, as he said the party had already concluded plans, even with a changed timetable of the programme to suit their interest.

“The timetable was opening prayer, then, there would be the national chairman’s opening remark, then all the candidates will start talking. But they changed the programme, and after the opening prayer, they said Yerima was going to speak. So, they called me first and asked me to talk. And I announced my stepping down and I appealed to all other candidates to also step down and they did, and Buhari became the only candidate,” Yerima revealed.