Why I Picked Yar’Adua As My Successor Despite Ailment, Obasanjo Opens Up

By Bada Abraham

According to a news that was published by the Daily Trust Newspaper online this morning, it was reported that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has revealed the reason he chose the late President Musa Yar’Adua as his successor despite being aware of his health issues.

While he was talking, he said he made this decision based on medical advice that indicated Musa Yar’Adua, who had undergone a kidney transplant, was capable of serving as the county’s President.

Obasanjo, who led Nigeria both as a military head of state (1976-1979) and as an elected civilian president (1999-2007), addressed allegations that he intentionally put forward a weak candidate like Yar’Adua for selfish reasons.

He made it known that during the selection process for his successor, he established a committee that was led by the Late Dr. Olusegun Agagu, to identify potential candidates and after a thorough evaluation, Yar’Adua emerged as the top choice.

The committee’s main argument in his favor was that, he had integrity and perceived commitment to not engage in corruption and concerns about his health were raised, prompting Obasanjo to seek a medical expert’s opinion.

To maintain anonymity, Yar’Adua’s name was redacted during this process, as the medical expert’s assessment indicated that if Yar’Adua had undergone a kidney transplant, there was no reason to worry, as he could be as healthy as anyone else on the planet.

He said, “I set up a committee headed by Dr Olusegun Agagu, of blessed memory, to search for a successor. They considered many names and did an extensive assessment of all them. They made their recommendation. Umaru was top on the list. Agagu’s committee told me 2 things about Yar’Adua that made me pick him as successor. I was told he has integrity and he will never steal.”

Further talking, Obasanjo refuted the claims that he knew that Yar’Adua was going to die but supported him for the presidency still. He insisted that the decision was based on the information and assessments available at the time, emphasizing that integrity and the absence of corruption were key factors in the selection.