A former governor of Oyo State, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, on has revealed that his impeachment in 2006 happened because he opposed the third term bid of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Ladoja, in an interview with journalists in Ibadan, said 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.
The former governor disclosed that Obasanjo threatened to reduce him to “nobody” for daring to oppose his third term bid.
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.”
The Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland, who will be 75 years old on Wednesday (today), recalled his ordeal with the ex-President
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 former governor said that he was satisfied that he told Obasanjo the truth, despite the fact that he did not like it.
