By Blessing Fali
Former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, has revealed how political tensions surrounding former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency nearly plunged Nigeria into a serious crisis.
Duke made the revelation in the forthcoming book, How to Win Elections in Nigeria, written by Seun Oloketuyi. He recalled that tensions surrounding Obasanjo’s bid for a second term and his worsening relationship with then Vice President Atiku Abubakar became so serious that concerns about a possible military coup reportedly reached the South African presidency.
According to Duke, Abdulkadir Kure, who was then Governor of Niger State, received a call from South Africa’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bangumzi Sifingo. The diplomat reportedly said South African President Thabo Mbeki wanted to speak with him.
Duke said Mbeki subsequently asked Kure whether it was true that Nigeria could experience a military coup if Obasanjo sought and won another term in office.
Kure was reportedly surprised by the question and later went to the Presidential Villa in Abuja to brief Obasanjo about the concern.
Duke also recalled that Obasanjo was frustrated by his growing disagreement with Atiku and had at one point considered abandoning his second term ambition.
He said he travelled to Abuja and tried to persuade Atiku that defeating a sitting president with the full machinery of government behind him would be a difficult political challenge.
Duke said he used a map of Nigeria during his discussion with Atiku and asked him to identify the electoral route through which he could defeat Obasanjo.
Obasanjo eventually contested and won the 2003 presidential election, but his relationship with Atiku remained deeply strained.
The subsequent third term controversy during Obasanjo’s second administration further intensified political tensions, with attempts to amend the Constitution to allow him to remain in office beyond two terms eventually failing in the National Assembly.
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