Donald Duke, former governor of Cross River state, has recounted how rumours of a possible military coup in Nigeria ahead of the 2003 presidential election reached the South African presidency.
Duke, who governed Cross River from 1999 to 2007, shared the account in ‘How to Win Elections in Nigeria’, a soon-to-be-released book by Seun Oloketuyi.
In his account, Duke reflected on the fierce political contest surrounding former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s second term bid and the growing rift between him and his deputy, Atiku Abubakar.
According to Duke, the political tension had become so intense that it attracted the attention of South African officials.
He recalled that Abdulkadir Kure, then governor of Niger state, received an unexpected call from Bangumzi Sifingo, South Africa’s high commissioner to Nigeria.
The diplomat reportedly told Kure that Thabo Mbeki, the South African president at the time, wanted to speak with him.
When Mbeki eventually called, Duke said the South African president went straight to the point.
Mbeki reportedly asked Kure if it was true that Nigeria could face a military coup if Obasanjo sought and won a second term in office.
The question reportedly caught Kure off guard.
He asked Mbeki where the claim had originated. According to Duke’s account, Mbeki disclosed the source of the information, although Duke did not identify the source in his recollection.
Concerned by what he had heard, Kure reportedly went straight to the presidential villa in Abuja to brief Obasanjo.
According to Duke, the fact that the issue had reached Mbeki showed how seriously the political crisis was being viewed beyond Nigeria.
The episode occurred at a time when the relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku was already under severe strain.
Duke recalled receiving a late-night call from Obasanjo during the crisis.
He said the president was frustrated by what he considered betrayal by his deputy and was even contemplating abandoning his bid for a second term.
The former Cross River governor said he travelled to Abuja the following morning and tried to convince Atiku that challenging an incumbent president would be a difficult political gamble.
To make his point, Duke said he brought out a map of Nigeria and placed it on Atiku’s table.
He then asked him to point out the electoral path that would allow him to defeat a sitting president who had the machinery of government behind him.
Obasanjo would go on to contest and win the 2003 presidential election, but his relationship with his vice-president never remained the same.
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