OBASANJO CANDIDACY IN 1998 WAS YORUBA’S COMPENSATION FOR JUNE 12 - JIGAWA GOV

Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gave its presidential ticket to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the 1998 general election to compensate the Yoruba, who were angry about the annulment of the June 12 election by former Head of State Ibrahim Babangida.
He spoke yesterday at the Government House in Dutse while hosting executives of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
Lamido said: “At that time, Northerners were viewed with contempt and disdain because of the past military leaderships. In 1998, we zoned the presidency to the Southwest because we wanted a Yoruba Nigerian president, not a Nigerian Yoruba President and we chose Obasanjo, even though his people did not like him. We did so because of his passion for this country. The choice of Obasanjo, even though he was in prison, became necessary to appease the Yoruba, who were angry over the annulment of the election won by the late Chief MKO Abiola.”

NGE Deputy President Hajiya Aishatu Sule, who led the delegation, told the governor that they were in the state for the second time for their quarterly meeting.