Osunbor: El-Rufai Lied against Me on Obasanjo’s Alleged Third Term Bid

*Says ex-gov’s account in Clark’s autobiography diminishes book 

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Former governor of Edo State, Professor Osheheimen Osunbor, has faulted the account of the events that happened during the controversial bid by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to seek a third term in office through the back door.
Osunbor spoke, when he reviewed the autobiography of Chief Edwin Clark, titled, “Brutally Frank,” in Abuja yesterday.
Clark had quoted a section of a book written by former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, “The Accidental Public servant,” where the author explained the role played by Osunbor in the third term saga.

Osunbor, however, shocked his audience when he said El-Rufai misled Nigerians with his account of the third term.
The professor of law explained that “Brutally Frank” made very interesting read, and the author’s clear memory and recollection of dates, names, places and events was impressive and phenomenal, saying it can partly be attributed to good record keeping.

But Osunbor stated, “The book is not without flaws, though minor, many of them typo and spelling, such as ‘constant tenants’, instead of ‘customary tenants’ (p. 64), ‘Justice Omo Eboh’ written as “Omoibo” (p. 159), and ‘Awkunanaw’ written as “Okunanu” (p. 167).
“At times, the language is intemperate, such as using the word ‘stupid’ (P.359).This is obviously in anger but not appropriate in a book.”
The former governor said, “The most serious shortcoming is the author’s copious reproduction, reference to and reliance on the statements and opinions of other people many of which may be unreliable and unverifiable.

“An example of this is at page 559, where he quotes in extenso excerpts from Malam El-Rufai’s book, ‘The Accidental Public servant’.
“In the relevant portion, the author refers to a discussion at Aso Villa between President Obasanjo, Senate President Ken Namani and others as they mulled the idea of stopping live television broadcast of the Senate debate of the third term.

“Chief Tony Anenih is quoted to have said that he will get Professor Osunbor to move the motion. ‘The following day, we learnt that Professor Osunbor went to the clerk of the Senate and asked that a motion be raised of urgent national importance, with no topic. This allowed – any senator can move to table a motion of urgent national importance’ with no further detail.”

Osunbor read out further to the audience, “The clerk put the motion in the order paper. On the appointed day, Professor Osunbor fell miraculously ill and had to be admitted to hospital, so there was nobody to raise the motion,”
Responding to the text of El-Rufai book quoted above, Osunbor said, “This is pure fiction and fallacious. First, it is the prerogative of the President of Senate to decide whether to allow a motion of urgent national importance and if satisfied, would direct the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business to put it on the Order Paper.

“The Clerk of Senate has nothing to do with it. At any rate, a motion on the modality of Senate Debate will be a matter of privilege, which can be raised by any senator without notice at any time and once the relevant order has been invoked, it cannot be refused and must be allowed by the Senate President, much less the clerk of Senate.

“At no time have I fallen miraculously ill and from 1999 when I entered Senate till date, I have never been admitted to any hospital. Importing such falsehoods into a book diminishes its quality.”
Yet Osunbor stated, “All in all, ‘Brutally Frank’ is an excellent literary work, rich in political history (ancient and contemporary) of Nigeria.
“It deserves to be in every library as an invaluable reservoir of knowledge. The finishing is good and the memorable pictures, which adorn some 35 pages speak more than a thousand words.”

The book reviewer created a moment of intense laughter, when he said, “Oh, there is a big omission. The author tells us that his great-grandfather had 100 wives, his grandfather had 40 and his father had seven, but he was silent on the number of wives he himself has married. Maybe he is still counting.”