ARGUABLY, former president and Chairman Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has a lot of ace up his political sleeves. He is full of suspense and strategy.

Twenty-four hours after leading a team of PDP top shots in the South-West geo-political zone to woo former Oyo State Governor, Senator Rasheed Ladoja back to the party, he threw in his towel yesterday as PDP BOT chair to “have a bit more time to devote to the international demand on me.” He was on the saddle for 58 months.

Since he returned to power on May 29,1999 as civilian head of state, 20 years after he voluntarily quit power as military ruler, Obasanjo has remained a major factor and power broker in the world’s largest black nation.

Though his eight-year reign as president  was eventful, his alleged attempt to go for a third term that would have seen him leading the country for a cumulative 15 years smeared his record as a non-sit-tight leader in a continent characterised by sit-tight rulers.

Before bowing out on May 29, 2007, however, Obasanjo ensured that his party retained presidential power through late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Dr Goodluck Jonathan. He also paved the way for a post-president role for himself in the PDP. He got the party’s constitution amended to reserve the BOT slot for only former presidents and national chairmen. The BOT was also made the highest decision-making body of the party as contained in Section 12.76 of the party’s constitution.

Thus, Obasanjo had little or no hassles picking the top seat on June 27, 2007, less than a month after leaving Aso Rock. In a deft move, he had his predecessor, Chief Tony Anenih, pushed aside

As BOT chair, Anenih had fixed the meeting for 8pm, but the time was changed without his consent to 10 a.m and the meeting did not start until 12.30 p.m and ended at about 3 p.m. Obasanjo’s election at the Kano Hall of Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, was the first time in PDP’s history that  the board of trustees meeting would be held in the morning. Past gatherings had always been in the night. Though Anenih was absent at the meeting, his wife, Josephine Anenih was present at the meeting where the decision was taken to replace his husband.

With his emergence as chairman of the board, Obasanjo brought his influence to bear on the affairs of the party. When Yar’Adua became terminally ill about two years into his four year tenure, Obasanjo, who first visited the ailing president in a Saudi hospital returned to champion the crusade for Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to be sworn-in as acting president as Yar’Adua did not hand-over to him before traveling out.

The polity was intensely divided over the matter. Some power forces, especially from the North opposed the move f....Obasanjo Resigns As PDP’s BOT Chairman:What next for PDP, Jonathan?|nai jane du http://bit.ly/Heb9q3

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Posted: at 4-04-2012 01:39 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

The wily old fox has dumped the 'good for nothing party' when is ovation is high.
He didn't want to be seen as supporting GEJ's intention to contest for a 2nd term.

Posted: at 4-04-2012 04:38 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

BABA GO SITDOWN.....

Posted: at 5-04-2013 02:40 AM (11 years ago) | Gistmaniac

if you like it or not...baba OBJ has been the best president so far in Nigeria...we can all see his achievments...only if you want to lie...he no easy to become AU chairman  when them Gadafi all of strong african leaders where there....OBJ still remain baba...highly recognised in the wolrd..we all complain he raised the fuel money...1 litre of pertrol in china is 6.6 yuan per litre  in naira thats almost 200naira..PRAY FOR NIGERIA MY MAN....everybody is corrupt even you the poster..so why are we complaining when you have  corruption right from your own home...abeg..pray for niger...NIGERIA IS THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD..soon we will get there....in china the first question chinese man will ask you (where are you from?)ans....NIRI LIYA   means Nigeria in chinese....chinese man reply   ohhhh...niriliya...hummm 很大国家 ....means very big COUNTRY.  then he stops talking ..why?  he dey fear.if you fear some one it means you respect him either for good or for bad..respect is respect..I STILL REMEMBER  WHEN I WAS IN PRYMARY SCHOOL I CONTRIBUTED MONEY FOR CHINA now its china is the worlds largest Economy,,,,GOD BLESS NIGERIA.......We too much...even other blacks africans dey respect .please all o ya...PRAY FOR OUR BELOVED COUNTRY...ENO EASY....

Posted: at 5-12-2014 04:31 AM (9 years ago) | Newbie

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