'Obasanjo threatened to reduce me to nobody for opposing Third Term'- Ladoja

Former Governor of Oyo state Rasheed Ladoja reported that Obasanjo rejected appeals by prominent Nigerians, including a late Yoruba leader, Pa Emmanuel Alayande, and a former Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Bola Ajibola, not to remove him.

However, Obasanjo threatened to reduce him to “nobody” for daring to oppose his third term bid.

The Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland, who will be 75 years old on Wednesday (today), recalled events that shaped his life and said, “There are successes and failures. There are triumphs and disappointments. And in the long run, I will say that I’m grateful to God that I can claim more triumphs than disappointments.”

Ladoja said he was lured into politics after he bankrolled the election of the late Chief Kolapo Ishola as the governor of the state in the Third Republic.

Ladoja said Obasanjo and not the late Lamidi Adedibu made the impeachment possible.

He said he was able to manage Adedibu until the third term issue cropped up, adding that the Ibadan late politician and him were in good terms. 

The former governor said the impeachment plot paved the way for selfish people. He stated, “There was one that actually made the impeachment possible. It was Obasanjo’s third term.”

He said, “I also made a mistake. When I heard about the third term, I asked Baba (Obasanjo) if it was true. He said it was not true and I said thank God.

“I said, ‘Baba, if not 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 I said this was a presidency you were not qualified for.’”

Ladoja said when Obasanjo insisted that he was qualified and he told him, “In a civilian government, the Presidency is meant for politicians and you are not a politician. They came to call you.”

The ex-governor stated, “When I got home in the evening, the Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel, called me and said ‘ governor general , you came to Ota’, I said yes that I came to discuss with Baba (Obasanjo). He asked what I discussed with Obasanjo. I said I discussed the third term. He (Daniel) said, ‘ oh God, you have pinched Baba on his sore. Baba said he would turn you to nobody.’

Ladoja said Daniel told him to come early for a council of state meeting in Abuja in order to apologise to Obasanjo.

He said when he went to beg Obasanjo, he met a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Oyewole Fasawe, with the former President.

The ex-governor stated, “Baba didn’t allow me to talk. He said I had told you Rashidi, I would turn you to nobody.

Obasanji was going and Fasawe was running after him, trying to tell him he shouldn’t have said that but my response to him was, ‘if God permits you sir .”