By Kayode Olopade
Former Ogun State Governor and elder statesman, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, has revisited the political events leading to the 2003 general election, revealing how the leadership of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, resolved to support the re-election bid of then President Olusegun Obasanjo, despite deep political differences.
Osoba, however, alleged that the understanding reached between the Yoruba political leadership and the former president was never honoured after Obasanjo secured a second term in office.
The disclosure is contained in an excerpt from Osoba's autobiography, Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics, in which the veteran journalist and politician provides a detailed account of the consultations, negotiations and strategic decisions that shaped one of Nigeria's most significant political alliances in the Fourth Republic.
According to Osoba, the decision to back Obasanjo was reached after a series of high-level meetings involving Afenifere leaders, governors elected on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy, respected Yoruba traditional rulers and other influential stakeholders across the South-West.
He explained that the consultations culminated in discussions with Obasanjo, who, according to him, appealed for the support of the Yoruba political establishment and assured them that his second-term administration would pursue key national reforms.
Osoba claimed that among the major commitments made by the former president were constitutional restructuring, the entrenchment of true fiscal federalism, the conduct of free, fair and credible elections, respect for democratic institutions, and policies aimed at promoting good governance and national unity.
The former governor said these assurances persuaded many leaders within Afenifere and the Alliance for Democracy to set aside their reservations and rally behind Obasanjo's re-election campaign in what they believed was a decision that would ultimately serve both the South-West and the broader Nigerian federation.
According to him, the endorsement represented a significant political sacrifice, as many party loyalists expected the Alliance for Democracy to maintain an independent political position rather than support a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
However, Osoba lamented that the expectations raised during the negotiations were dashed after the election, alleging that the commitments made to the Yoruba leadership were not implemented once Obasanjo returned to office.
He argued that the anticipated reforms, particularly those relating to restructuring and fiscal federalism, failed to materialise, while several other promises that formed the basis of the political understanding were equally abandoned.
The elder statesman further suggested that the outcome of the alliance left many leaders within Afenifere and the Alliance for Democracy disappointed, describing the episode as a defining moment that reshaped political relationships within the South-West and influenced subsequent alignments in Nigeria's democratic journey.
Osoba's account offers a rare insider's perspective on the complex negotiations preceding the 2003 presidential election and provides fresh insight into the calculations, expectations and eventual fallout that characterised the relationship between the Yoruba political establishment and the Obasanjo administration.
The revelations, drawn from Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics, have renewed public interest in one of the most consequential political alliances in Nigeria's democratic history, while also reigniting debate over the country's long-standing calls for constitutional restructuring, true federalism and deeper democratic reforms.
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