In August 2018, Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, said former President Olusegun Obasanjo “knelt” before ex-vice-president Atiku Abubakar in 2003.
Naturenex recalls that the renowned playwright said Obasanjo begged Atiku in a bid to emerge as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer and run for re-election in the 2003 election.
Soyinka made the disclosure during the presentation of his book, ‘Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?: Gani’s Unfinished Business’, at Freedom Park, Lagos in 2018.
The Nation quoted the playwright as saying he warned Atiku that by allowing Obasanjo kneel before him, he would ultimately pay a heavy price.
Soyinka was reported to have said his warning came to pass when Atiku’s dramatic change of fortune began immediately Obasanjo was sworn in for a second term of office.
He said: “Before the PDP primaries in January 2003, Obasanjo got everyone he knew could reach me on the surface on the earth including Yemi Ogunbiyi and my son, to get me to help him intercede when it was clear that (Abubakar) Atiku was in a position to take his job. He knew Atiku had a lot of regard for me and calls me ‘Uncle’.
“The pressure was intense. Of course, I could not have knelt before Atiku not to embark on a course of action that would lead to his boss’ disgrace. But I can confirm to you that Obasanjo as President knelt down before Atiku so that he would not lose his job.
“But I warned Atiku that for making Obasanjo to kneel down for you, be sure you would have to pay heavily for that. I guess my warning came to pass if you remember Atiku’s dramatic change of fortune once Obasanjo was sworn in for a second term of office.”
By Olugbenga Ige
