Ayodele Olalere
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, said then President Olusegun Obasanjo ‘diabolically double-crossed’ Chief Bisi Akande and other governors of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to remove them from office in the 2003 election.
President Buhari said only Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was then the governor of Lagos State survived the political massacre launched on them by the then President.
President Buhari spoke at the presentation of a book ‘My Presentations’ written by Chief Akande held at Eko Hotel and Suites.
READ ALSO: http://How Bisi Akande made Buhari President — Tinubu
According to the President, Chief Akande has maintained his integrity, and described him as a man he could go into the jungle with.
“It is common knowledge that Akande was the victim, along with other AD Governors, of a diabolical double-cross which ended his gubernatorial career.
“Only the steadfast Asiwaju Bola Tinubu escaped the electoral massacre masterminded by President Obasanjo,” President Buhari said.
He added, “Desperately disappointed though he was, and being a good Muslim, he accepted this setback as part of the trials of life. He looked to the future of service to the country.”
He said Chief Akande’s reputation as a man who never accepted or offered bribes has remained untainted, adding his leadership qualities made him the unanimous choice as the first Chairman of the APC.
President Buhari further commended Chief Akande for his doggedness in the party’s battles to wrestle power from the then ruling party the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
READ ALSO: http://Senate urges FG to review payments under debt issuance programme
He eulogised Chief Akande for his performances while serving as governor of Osun State, as well as surviving several challenges some of which were ‘attempts to impeach him by the State Assembly, a deeply indebted Treasury, huge arrears of salary, allowances, and pensions.’
President Buhari recommended the book to students of Nigeria politics and the general public alike.
“This book is a historical document. Students will find this an invaluable source of Nigeria’s politics, notably between 1999 and 2020,” he said.
