Politics is not a charity. However, Umaru Yar’Adua, with obvious nudge and encouragement by OBJ, won the PDP’s nomination in November 2006, and was elected in 2007 as … If you are called to serve, do not abandon your profession, whatever it is. After the 2007 resolution that made the late Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan the PDP aspirants for president and vice president, Duke was cited as saying that Nigeria would regret the decision. M.T Mbu died on February 6, 2012, leaving behind the manuscript which his family decided to publish in his honor. President Umaru Yar'Adua of Nigeria, who has died aged 58 from kidney and heart disorders, came from one of the country's important political families.His father had … In December 2006, Yar'Adua, a very dark horse indeed, emerged as the People's Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate when then President Olusegun Obasanjo imposed him on his party. ... Yar’Adua was the president of Nigeria and the 13th head of state. The third time, he came with Ibrahim Shema, who later became governor of Katsina State, asking me again. It was clear to everyone that Dr Peter Odili from the south-south zone was ready to provide leadership. “I deliberately wanted to stay away from the administration of Goodluck Jonathan. Ambassador Matthew Mbu, a former minister of foreign affairs, has disclosed in his autobiography, that ex-presidents Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan failed in office because they did not prepare for the presidency, The Nation reports. Yar’Adua was born to an elite Fulani family, and his birthplace was an important centre of Islamic learning. I said it was all spilt milk. Secondly, he said he didn’t want a repeat of the conflict he had with Abubakar Atiku, his vice president at the time.”. Mbu: Dignity in service”, will be launched post-humously in Abuja on April 10. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Yar Adua died on May 5, 2010 after a protracted battle with Acute Pericarditis at the age of 58; and Jonathan was sworn-in as President, following his demise. Alamieyeseigha, now deceased, was pardoned in 2013 by Jonathan who had gone on to become vice president to Yar-Adua and then president after Yar'Adua's death in 2010. He was dealing with his health issues and wanted to retire and go lecture in a university. I backed out. Yar’Adua was a President like no other, says Jonathan. Duke explained the remark by saying: “It is one prophecy I wish never came to pass. At that point, it was inconceivable that I would win the primaries; I would only spend money and still lose. He said to Obasanjo and me, ‘I don’t want this job.’, READ ALSO: 8 years after: 13 touching tributes to late Yar'Adua, “If these two men never aspired to the office but were recruited to take on a responsibility as daunting as the management of Nigeria without mentally preparing for the office and having a grand vision of where they wanted to take Nigeria to, then there is a problem. Jonathan was made the running mate to Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in that convention. The mental preparation is absolutely important. The autobiography, titled “M.T. After the June 12 elections were annulled, the Yar'Adua faction negotiated an arrangement for the inauguration of an interim government. After Yar'Adua became the president of Nigeria, I read somewhere (my memory of this is hazy) that Obasanjo chose him as his successor because he had noticed how different he was from the other thirty-five state governors. Legit.ng gathers that Mbu also stated that Jonathan could not tackle corruption and became myopic with Ijaw agenda. Duke recounted how Yar’Adua never sought to be president and that the late president had contacted him on three occasions seeking his agreement to be his running mate. - on Legit.ng TV Home Nigeria News Yar’Adua was a President like no other, says Jonathan. Duke clarified that the serious mistake of saddling men who were unprepared with the duty of running the country is what has brought the country to its present state. Most of the time I served in public offices, I did return to my profession as a lawyer. The former governor discussed this in the first edition of a magazine, The Interview, published by the former group managing director of Leadership Newspapers. There is a story making the rounds that I rejected it.”, READ ALSO: 10 amazing photos of late Umar Musa Yar'Adua, “I never did. Yar’Adua was the president of Nigeria and the 13th head of state. Jonathan was excluding himself and his presidency was heading for precipice. In my 2011 book, ‘Power Politics and Death’ I wrote: “…It was at the margin of the 33rd G8 summit in Germany in June 2007 that the then Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, had a brief chat with Yar’Adua. He won the dubious April 21, 2007, elections to become president. It is like converting a passenger on an aircraft to a pilot.”. In his words: “The second point I proposed to the administration of Jonathan to be tackled immediately was corruption. In his weekly article titled ‘ My Mercedes Is Bigger Than Yours’, Adesina said former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo who ruled Nigeria from 1999 to 2007; Umaru Musa Yar’adua who was President from 2007 to 2010 and his successor, Goodluck Jonathan only used the Second Niger Bridge project as a campaign promise during the 16 year reign of the PDP. - on Legit.ng TV, Leave your email to receive our newsletter, Get the hottest stories from the largest news site in Nigeria, Drop your mail and be the first to get fresh news, Atiku Abubakar reacts as former Lagos governor dies after brief illness, Check out these beautiful village mansions in Anambra causing massive stirs, people say Igbos are rich, Igbo woman sends social media into frenzy as she cruises around town with N34 million electric car, JUST IN: FG releases updated COVID-19 guidelines for Churches, Mosques, 89-year-old woman who looks 40 reveals secret of looking young despite her age, Actress Annie Idibia and daughter banter as she wears her clothes (video), Heated reactions from Nigerians as pigeons released by President Buhari refuse to fly at Armed Forces remembrance (video), Tantabarun da Buhari ya saki a bikin ranar tunawa da Sojoji sun ki tashi (Bidiyo), NIN: NCC finally speaks on registration, says deadline stands, Breaking: Nigerian Air Force unveils two MI-35M helicopter gunships (photos). “Really”? His inauguration marked the first time in the country’s history that an elected civilian head of state had transferred power to another. 29th May 2007 will go down in the history of Nigeria as a date a certain Umaru Musa Yar’Adua took over the mantle of leadership emerging from a … Mr Yar'Adua never did this, but senate leader David Mark said that an interview Mr Yar'Adua carried out with the BBC's Hausa service on 12 January had effectively provided the assembly with the notice it needed.