Rashidi Ladoja, former governor
of Oyo state, says he was impeached in 2006 because he told former President
Olusegun Obasanjo that he was not qualified for a third term in office.
Elected in 2003 under the
platform of the People Democratic Party (PDP), the former governor was
impeached in January 2006, reinstated in December 2006 and his term ended in
2007.
In an interview with PUNCH to
commemorate his 75th birthday anniversary, Ladoja said Obasanjo was angered by
his words.
“I have said it many times that
13 of Baba and (Otunba Christopher) Alao-Akala couldn’t have impeached me. The
rule of impeachment is that you must have a two-third majority in the House of
Assembly and I knew there was no way I could have less than one-third,” he
said.
“It opened the way for selfish
people who just wanted money and there were so many negotiations, but there was
one (thing) that actually made the impeachment possible, it was (Chief
Olusegun) Obasanjo’s third term agenda.
“Obasanjo knew there was no way I
would be around and the House of Assembly would pass an amendment to the
constitution, allowing a third term for the President. That was why Ladoja had
to go.
“And I also made a mistake, maybe
it was a mistake or maybe it wasn’t. I knew Obasanjo before I became Oyo State
governor. I used to visit him in Ota after he left government and we were very
close, so when I heard about third term agenda, I told Baba if it was true and
he asked who told me. I said does it really matter who told me? I said it’s a
question of whether it’s true. He said it was not true and I said thank God.
“And I said ‘Baba, I would have
said maybe you don’t know God. I said God made it possible for you to be
President for eight years and this is a Presidency you were not qualified for.’
He said, ‘not qualified, am I not a Nigerian or was I not of age’? I said ‘no,
Baba, you know that in a democratic regime, presidency is meant for politicians
and you are not a politician, they came to call you.
“I said there was a time you
asked me what (Shehu Musa) Yar’Adua was looking for in government (and) what
did he forget in the Government House? Secondly, with the presidential system
of government, you must have lots of your own money for election. You just came
out of prison and had no money. And with all those minuses, God said you would
be the President for eight years, let God be the one who would decide the next
president.’ He said ‘thank you very much, I appreciate it.’
“He knew I told him the truth and
I was convinced I told him the truth. At the end of it, he also said he didn’t
even ask for a third term, which is not true. He did. So when I got home in the
evening, the then Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, called and asked what I
came to Ota to discuss with Obasanjo. I said I discussed the third term agenda
with him. He said ‘oh God, you have pinched Baba on his sore, Baba said he
would turn you to a nobody.’ I said ‘if God allows him’.”
Ladoja was succeeded as Oyo state
governor by Adebayo Alao-Akala
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