A former governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, has said that the perceived third term bid of former President Olusegun Obasanjo led to his impeachment.
WITHIN NIGERIA recalls that former President Obasanjo had on Thursday claimed Ladoja’s impeachment was due to a political disagreement he (Ladoja) had with two politicians: late Lamidi Adedibu and Yekini Adeojo.
Obasanjo, speaking at the launch of the autobiography of former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala on Thursday, had claimed that Ladoja was impeached because he was ‘ungrateful’ to the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu and Alhaji Yekinni Adeojo both of whom he said were instrumental to making him (Ladoja) governor.
Obasanjo said he was not involved in Ladoja’s impeachment as recorded in the new publication.
Ladoja was impeached in 2006 though he was reinstated after 11 months through a court order.
Obasanjo, who was the president between 1999 and 2007, tried securing a third term bid but this was resisted by the National Assembly. Mr Obasanjo has always insisted he never tried to extend his term in office through extra-constitutional means.
Ladoja while reacting to Obasanjo’s claims said the former President actually played a role in his impeachment.
Ladoja said he was surprised that the former president obviously descended to “an unprecedented level of a fabricator by telling lies” against him.
The former governor, in a statement signed by his media aide, Lanre Latinwo, said Obasanjo “fabricated lies against him”.
Ladoja added that his impeachment was due to Mr Obasanjo’s failed third term attempt.
“It was his (Obasanjo) failed third term programme that caused the unsuccessful impeachment,” he said. ‘’The former president had forgotten that the nation’s apex court had ruled that there was no impeachment.
‘’Obasanjo can be forgiven because he is an old man who may not recollect the past accurately, anymore. If not, why should he say that Ladoja became Governor in 2003 through the grace of God, Baba Adedibu and Alhaji Adeojo when the latter also attempted to become governor.
‘’Did Obasanjo forget that Adeojo contested the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election which was held on 24th December, 2002 at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan?
‘’Chief Obasanjo, in trying to rewrite history has forgotten that he told Baba Emmanuel Alayande in Ibadan on his birthday in December, 2005 that Senator Ladoja should resign his position as Governor, otherwise he would be impeached?”
He said through to his (Obasanjo) boasts, “the illegal act was carried out a few days later, but thank God, the impropriety was quashed by the court of highest jurisdiction”.
‘’Let Chief Obasanjo be told, point-blank, that no amount of damage control employed, his past is closely hunting him.
‘’Ladoja, therefore, has no regret; he came to serve and he did just that to the best of his ability the result of which is the love his people have for him, till-date,” he added.