I Backed Yar’Adua Not Olu Falae In 1992 Because I Believed In The Nigeria Project – Obasanjo

Ex Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has come out to reveal why he supported the candidacy of Alhaji Shehu Musa Yar’Adua over Chief Olu Falae in 1992

He revealed this during the launch of the autobiography of a former Oyo State governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala’s book titled: “Amazing Grace.”

According to him, both politicians were his close aides but he went for Yar’Adua in the end because of his belief in the Nigeria project.

He added that since it was not a Yoruba project, Chief Olu Falae would not get his backing as the people were looking at the entire Nigeria picture.

His words, “In 1992, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua came to me to request me to intervene on his behalf with Chief Adedibu. It was the usual thing I would do but for Shehu.”

“I went to the chief, meeting him one on one for the first time and he received me warmly. And I said to him, I know both Olu Falae and Shehu Yar’Adua very well as they both worked directly under me. Olu as Permanent Secretary and Shehu as my political number 2.”

“They are both very good. But if we are looking at the entire Nigeria picture, it should be Shehu before Olu; If however, it is purely Yoruba issue, it should be Olu before Shehu.”

“If my information is correct that you people are considering Nigeria and not just Yorubaland, then I will recommend Shehu. That led to Chief Adedibu changing his support in favour of Shehu Yar’Adua in 1992,”

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Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Aremu Obasanjo, GCFR, born 5 March 1937 is a Nigerian military and political leader who served as military head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. Ideologically a Nigerian nationalist, he was a member of the People’s Democratic Party.

Matthew Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo was born in the village of Ibogun-Olaogun in southwest Nigeria. His later passport gave his date of birth as 5 March 1937, although this was an estimate, and there are no records of Obasanjo’s birthdate from the time itself.

His father was Amos Adigun Obaluayesanjo “Obasanjo” Bankole and his mother was Bernice Ashabi Bankole. He was the first of nine children; only he and a sister (Adunni Oluwole Obasanjo) survived childhood. He was born to the Owu branch of the Yoruba people. The church in the village was part of a mission set up by the U.S. Southern Baptist Church and Obasanjo was raised Baptist.

His village also contained Muslims and his sister would later convert to Islam on marrying a Muslim man.