A former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has revealed his reasons for being antagonistic to ambition of the Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, to lead the state.
Obasanjo made this revelation while speaking in Awka, the Anambra state capital, at the Town Hall meeting, held to mark the one year anniversary of Soludo as the governor of the state on Saturday.
He said he had reservations when his former Chief Economic Adviser approached him that he was gunning for the governorship position in the state, because for him, Soludo was better at “something international or national” and not as Anambra governor.
Soludo served as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria between 2004 and 2009, when Obasanjo was President.
Obasanjo stated, “Because of my experience with Chukwuma, I earmarked him for something greater in my mind, until one day he came to me and said he was going to contest election as governor of Anambra. I did not disguise my anger against him.
“And I said, ‘Chukwuma, governor of Anambra, no, I see you for something national or international’.
“What is this governor of Anambra? He said to me, ‘You remember one morning when we were together and I came for morning devotion and I said let us pray for the new governor of Anambra, and I snapped and said, ‘What prayer are you making?
“I said to Chukwuma, ‘When people like you are running away, what do you expect? Hooligans will take over, and then people like him should not complain.”
The PUNCH reported that he said he later told Soludo he could contest, but he should not forget he reserved him for national or international assignment. “But go for this governorship as an appetiser, then the main menu will come later. So, you are on your appetiser stage.
“From what I have heard and what I have seen, you have not disappointed me and I believe you have not disappointed the people of Anambra State,” Obasanjo added.
