Former impeached Governor of Bayelsa State; Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseiya who quoted Obasanjo stressed that Obasanjo perfected that plot since 2007 when the former vice President was desperate to clinch power.
He said Obasanjo’s fear then, was that Atiku had secretly endorsed Alamieyeseigha as his running mate and had perfected plans to succeed him (OBJ) at the expiration of his second tenure.
Atiku had dared Obasanjo and contested against his boss’ anointed candidate, late President Umaru Yar’Adua, finishing third behind Muhammadu Buhari of the then All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP.
Atiku rejected the election results and called for its cancellation, describing it as Nigeria’s “worst election ever.”
Atiku also returned to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to contest the 2011 presidential election when a Committee of Northern Elders selected him as the Northern Consensus Candidate, over former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, former National Security Adviser Aliyu Gusau and Senate President Bukola Saraki of Kwara State.
In January 2011, Atiku contested for the presidential ticket of his party alongside President Jonathan and Sarah Jubril, and lost the primary in favour of Goodluck Jonathan.
Atiku whom many commentators likened to a cat with nine lives, also tried to run in 2015 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, but was defeated by Buhari at the primaries.
Speaking further, Alamieyeseigha said the choice of Jonathan as vice president was to frustrate the emergence of Atiku and himself as PDP flag bearers in 2007.
“For Goodluck, I knew that Jonathan was going to be vice president of Nigeria as far back as August 25, 2005. Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, told me that since Atiku and I wanted to take his job, that it would be over his dead body; and that unless he died, Atiku cannot be president of Nigeria.
“Obasanjo said since Atiku had picked me as his running mate, he would make sure that he dealt with and disgraced us. He said he was going to use my deputy to rubbish me before everybody. So, I knew.”
On why he picked Jonathan as his deputy, Alamieyeseigha said he needed an establishment person and somebody who was not too ambitious.
He described Jonathan as humble and a man with strong character, who could be relied upon to handle a position of responsibility.
“I needed somebody that, if I travelled outside the State, I could sleep well. It was a combination of these factors that made me to choose Jonathan as my deputy then.
“I set out objective criteria on the qualities I needed and when the late chief judge of Bayelsa State recommended him (I did not know him before), I entered my car and drove to his residence.
“I asked him to resign and come and be my running mate. I was already a candidate. He was then in OMPADEC quarters”, Alamieyeseigha said.
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