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Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Ahmadu Ali attempted to re-write the history of the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan into presidential power, stating that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had no hand in Jonathan's selection as Vice President in 2007.
Ahmadu Ali said contrary to a wild held view that Obasanjo held no credit in handpicking Jonathan as a running mate to the late President Umaru Yar'Adua.
Ahmadu Ali made this known in Abuja at the International Conference Center, venue of a two-day retreat for elected PDP governors and federal lawmakers, stating that it was rather Yar'Adua who picked Jonathan as his running mate without a suggestion to that effect from any party members.
The remarks by Ali was prodded by an earlier comment by the publisher of THISDAY newspapers, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena that the British High Commissioner had informed him that the PDP had earlier shortlisted former governors of Delta State, James Ibori, Peter Odili and Jonathan for the vice presidential slot in 2007.
In response, Ali told the group of elected PDP members at the retreat that information by the British envoy was a rumour which, according to him, was far from the truth, noting that the PDP which he headed then never drew up any list of possible running mates for Yar'Adua.
He said, "It is not true that three people were in consideration for vice president and Ibori was never considered".
Giving his own account of how Jonathan became a vice president, Ali said while PDP governors were meeting in the house of former Special Assistant to Obasanjo, Chief Andy Uba, on who to push for the Vice Presidential slot, Obasanjo, Tony Anenih and himself (Ali) decided to summon Yar'Adua to read his acceptance speech and inform them who he was going to pick as his running mate.
Said he, "Chief Tony Anenih, myself and Obasanjo were the only three people in the basement and we forced the late president to read his acceptance speech. He resisted and I am the only one keeping a copy of that speech which he never read. Goodluck Jonathan was nominated singlehandedly by Umaru Musa Yar'Adua as his running mate before me, Chief Anenih and Obasanjo. We insisted he must tell us who his running mate was.
"At that time, the governors were meeting. They were holed up in the house of one senator now trying to direct affairs, so we jumped them. While they were meeting in Andy Uba's house where they were trying to come out with a candidate as the vice president, we said 'no, Umaru tell us now now now'.
"That was when he said he preferred Goodluck Jonathan. So, Obasanjo took the telephone and said get me Goodluck, get me Goodluck.
Goodluck came and sat down. He (Jonathan) couldn't get any idea from our eyes as he was sitted opposite me and we were just watching him. We asked Yar'Adua to tell him (Jonathan) what he told us and he told him".
Ali said further that Jonathan was asked to react to the offer and he expressed his reservations about holding the office of Vice President when he already had a vision and agenda on how he would govern Bayelsa State.
"He said 'well I do know what I was going to do in Bayelsa State, but I don't know what I will do as vice president. I would have preferred to be governor of Bayelsa State".
Ali said when Jonathan voiced his reservations he (Ali) squeezed his face and Jonathan eventually agreed to serve as Yar'Adua's vice president.
He said they consequently asked Yar'Adua to approach his governor colleagues and inform them of his decision.
"Meanwhile, television crew had already been summoned. Anenih was on this side, I was on the other side, Yar'Adua was sitting in the centre and he made the announcement that Jonathan was his running mate. That was how we torpedoed the governors' meeting," he said.
Source: Tribune