Garba Shehu, former presidential spokesman to the late Muhammadu Buhari, has claimed that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo harboured deep resentment towards his former boss, despite Buhari’s respect for him.
Shehu stated this in reaction to Obasanjo’s posthumous criticism of Buhari’s administration, which the former president recently described as Nigeria’s worst civil government.
Speaking to Leadership, Shehu argued that Obasanjo’s assessment was unsurprising, noting that he had already detailed the roots of their strained relationship in his new book, According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience.
He revealed that the rift between the two leaders stemmed from a disagreement over the multibillion-dollar Mambilla Power Project.
“There are many around Buhari who hold that the spectacular falling out between him and his superior in the military, President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom he cherished and much respected, was on account of the demand reportedly put to him by Obasanjo, that the contract for the Mambilla Power Project be given to a contractor he preferred,” Shehu wrote in his book.
According to him, Buhari turned down Obasanjo’s request, insisting the contract award must follow due process. “On this, Buhari politely told the former president to allow him to handle it his own way,” Shehu explained.
Despite their differences, Shehu maintained that Buhari held Obasanjo in high regard until his death, even though the relationship between the two former military leaders eventually deteriorated.
The disclosure has once again reignited debates about tensions among Nigeria’s past leaders and the politics surrounding major infrastructure projects.
