Obasanjo betrayed Babangida over one-term power-sharing agreement — Kalu alleges

***Discloses why his relationship with Obasanjo collapsed, promises to groom younger Nigerians for leadership

***Recalls financing PDP’s formation, how party members turned against him

By Henry Umoru, Abuja

Chairman Senate Committee on South East Development Commission (SEDC), Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, APC, Abia North, has revealed how former President Olusegun Obasanjo betrayed his agreement to serve one term and to subsequently hand over to the North.

Kalu has, however, revealed an account of an alleged political understanding involving Obasanjo and former military president Ibrahim Babangida ahead of the 2003 presidential election.

The former Abia State governor, who spoke on why his once cordial relationship with Obasanjo eventually collapsed, disclosed that their disagreement was rooted partly in what he described as an agreement that Obasanjo would serve only one four-year term before power returned to the North.

According to him, the understanding was reached during a meeting involving himself, Obasanjo and Babangida at Obasanjo’s residence in Ota, Ogun State, stressing that the arrangement was intended to accommodate the political circumstances surrounding the emergence of Obasanjo in 1999, following the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

The former Senate Whip spoke on Monday night during an exclusive appearance on Arise PrimeTime, the flagship evening current affairs programme of Arise News Television, anchored by Charles Aniagolu.

Kalu maintained that the agreement was for Obasanjo to complete one term and hand over to another political leader from the North, allowing the country’s power rotation arrangement to continue.

When asked specifically to speak about reports that Babangida was expected to succeed Obasanjo in 2003, with Kalu potentially becoming his running mate, the senator said he could not confirm the vice-presidential arrangement but stood by the agreement concerning Obasanjo’s tenure.

“Well, I cannot be certain about the vice presidency, but I can tell you, yes, this was our discussion in Ota. That he would leave, he would leave for four years and give back to the North,” he disclosed.

Providing further details, Kalu identified an individual he described as Obasanjo’s aide from Benue State, named Adobeye in the interview, as being present during the discussion.

He said, “What we discussed and agreed there were people there, there were people there, like His Boy, Obasanjo’s Boy, Adobeye from Benue State; he was sitting down there where we sat, me, Ibrahim Babangida and President Obasanjo. Where we agreed, we agreed.”

Kalu said the disagreement over the alleged arrangement was among the issues that eventually damaged his relationship with the former president, just as he accused Obasanjo of using state institutions, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to pursue political opponents and remove elected governors through what he considered unconstitutional means.

The senator maintained that his opposition to Obasanjo was not driven by personal ambition but by his disagreement with what he considered a departure from their political understanding and constitutional principles.

‘I financed PDP’s formation; then party members turned against me’

Recalls financing PDP’s formation, says party members turned against him

Kalu, who also provided an account of his financial contributions to the formation of the PDP during the transition from military to civilian rule, dismissed suggestions that he was the only wealthy individual involved in the party’s formation, acknowledging the contributions of prominent figures, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Yomi Edu and General Theophilus Danjuma.

The former Abia State governor, who maintained that he played a significant role in financing the early meetings and logistical arrangements that facilitated the formation of the party, said, “I was the one funding the meetings, aircraft, paying honourariums to people that came for cooking food and all the rest of them. That is the truth.”

He explained that his motivation was to ensure the emergence of a formidable political platform capable of ending military rule.

“So for me, it was just a joyful thing to make sure that we had a strong party to drive away the military,” he added.

Kalu, however, expressed disappointment with how some of the party’s members treated him after he had invested considerable resources in its formation.

“I became a fool before the PDP because after bringing all the money, they turned against me,” he said.

He further claimed that he had supported Obasanjo financially after the former president’s release from prison, including funding his movements and providing aircraft for his political engagements.

‘My relationship with IBB, international figures’

The Abia North Senator also discussed his longstanding relationships with influential political figures within and outside Nigeria, attributing much of his approach to relationship-building to lessons from three individuals.

He identified former military President Ibrahim Babangida, the late Professor Jibril Aminu and businessman Gilbert Chagoury as the people who taught him the importance of maintaining relationships across different social and political backgrounds.

“Three men taught me how to cultivate this. One, still alive, is his present, Ibrahim Babangida. Two, was Professor Jubril Aminu. And the third one was Mr Gilbert Chagoury,” he said.

According to Kalu, their advice was that maintaining relationships required humility, accessibility and the willingness to interact with people regardless of their social standing.

“They told me that it’s always good to keep people and eat with people. And I maintained that, and this is what I maintained in my life,” he said.

He explained that he deliberately maintains relationships with people from different social classes and makes efforts to return missed calls and respond to messages.

“I welcome people of no status. I welcome people with status. I welcome people of the same below and above. I keep relationships,” he stated.

Kalu also acknowledged that his relationship with Babangida opened doors for him to meet influential international figures, which he subsequently leveraged to expand his business and diplomatic networks.

He recalled his friendship with the late South African President Nelson Mandela, who, according to him, introduced him to other influential South African leaders, including Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma.

He also confirmed that he had maintained relationships with influential individuals in the United States, including people associated with the Democratic Party, while clarifying that his relationships with international intelligence officials did not make him an agent of any foreign government.

Asked about allegations linking him to the CIA and Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, Kalu categorically denied working for either organisation.

“I’m not an agent,” he said.

Kalu also addressed his previous recognition by Forbes magazine as one of Africa’s wealthiest individuals, explaining why he had not featured prominently in more recent wealth rankings.

He attributed the difference to his current involvement in politics, arguing that his business profile would become more prominent if he returned fully to the private sector.

“Any day I drop out of politics, I’m sure Forbes, if I have anything to rank, they’ll rank me,” he said.

He further made a notable claim about his previous recognition by the international financial publication.

“Because in the history of Forbes, I’m the only person active in politics ever they have ranked,” he declared.

‘How Dangote reacted when I announced my intention to become governor’

Recounting his transition from business into politics, Kalu revealed that some of his closest associates initially considered his decision to contest the governorship of Abia State an unwise move.

Kalu, who specifically recalled the reaction of Africa’s foremost industrialist, Aliko Dangote, when he informed him of his intention to enter politics, said the conversation took place at his residence in the presence of other associates, including Chat Sahi and the late Mohammed Wazgiri.

He said Dangote was surprised by his decision, considering the business empire he had built and the risks associated with entering Nigerian politics.

“The day I told him I was going to run for governor, he felt I was a fool,” Kalu recalled.

Recounting Dangote’s reaction, he said:

“He said you must be very strong to think about that. He said, “You will not do that.”

Kalu explained that his decision was influenced partly by the encouragement of politicians who approached him to participate in the formation of a political movement capable of ending military rule.

He recalled that he became actively involved in financing meetings, providing aircraft and supporting the logistics required to establish the PDP ahead of the return to democratic governance in 1999.