- Stop wailing over endorsement, you all lobbied, LP PCC tells APC, PDP
- South West group cautions against shipwreck over ex-President’s backing
- Obi warns, says 2023 critical to Nigeria’s survival
- Obasanjo is an institution whose views are respected all over the world – Ebiseni
The Presidency, yesterday, came down hard on former President Olusegun Obasanjo, describing him as a frustrated and jealous leader on a mission to discredit President Muhammadu Buhari’s record on national development and other sundry achievements.
In a scathing statement signed by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the Presidency was reacting to Obasanjo’s letter wherein he described the seven years of the Buhari administration as hell, saying:
“The last seven and a half years have no doubt been eventful and stressful years for many Nigerians. We have moved from frying pan to fire and from mountain top to the valley.”
According to The Guardian, the statement reads in part: “Former President Obasanjo is so well known to all that no one needs to describe who he is. “He will not stop attacking President Muhammadu Buhari because the former President won’t stop being jealous of anyone who beats him to a new record in the nation’s development process.
“President Buhari is ahead of Chief Obasanjo in all fields of national development. And to do that is cardinal sin to Obasanjo whose hallucinations tell him that he is the best ever to lead Nigeria and there will never be another one better than him.
“President Buhari just completed the world-class edifice that is the Second Niger Bridge after three decades of failed promises. It is now awaiting commissioning. Obasanjo laid the sod for the bridge in his first term as elected President and work never started.
“When he sought re-election for his second term in office, he returned to the site to turn the sod for the bridge the second time. When the Obi of Onitsha, forthright and scholarly, reminded him that he had done this in the past, Obasanjo told the foremost southeast traditional ruler that he was a liar, in the full presence of the chiefs and oracles in his palace.
“Obasanjo lied to the southeast to get their votes. President Buhari didn’t get their votes but built the bridge because he believed it is the right thing to do.
“President Buhari had been bagging awards and encomiums for trying to do that which the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria says a leader should do: serve one, or a maximum of two terms and go.
“President Buhari has been stating and restating that he will supervise a better election than the one that brought him to office and leave as and when due.
“Having tried tenure elongation and failed, Obasanjo’s fictitious mind must be telling him that he is the one under attack. But he is not on President Buhari’s radar because experience has shown, especially, lately, in West Africa, where there have been at least three successful coups and many other failed attempts, that third term or tenure elongation is a recipe for political instability.
“Furthermore, the totality of African leaders appointed President Buhari the Anti-Corruption Champion of the continent.
“You can’t be an anti-corruption champion if ‘you meddled and bent the rules,’ carrying the putrid responsibility of what happened to national assets in the name of privatisation as documented by the Nigerian Senate in 2011.
“As an insight, the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), which was set up with $3.2 billion, was sold to a Russian firm, Russal, for a paltry $130 million. Delta Steel, which was set up at a cost of $1.5billion, was sold to Global Infrastructure for just $30 million. ALSCON got back $120 million for the dredging of the Imo River, which was never carried out.
“To say that ‘frying pan to fire’ is the situation in Nigeria at this time should be read to mean a personal experience to him and we know what that means. ‘Hell’ for Obasanjo is when a President, any President that comes after him refuses to be his own puppet, to do as he wishes on all matters and at all times.
“He then keeps attacking out of frustration. Obasanjo’s vengeful attitude towards President Buhari is the height of selfishness and little short of moral squalor.”
Following is the Presidency’s full statement:
“Former President Obasanjo is so well known to all that no one needs to describe who he is.
But, four things we will like to say:
One is that he will not stop attacking President Muhammadu Buhari because the former President won’t stop being jealous of anyone who beats him to a new record in the nation’s development process.
President Buhari is ahead of Chief Obasanjo in all fields of national development and to do that is cardinal sin to Obasanjo whose hallucinations tell him that he is the best ever to lead Nigeria and there will never be another one better than him.
President Buhari just completed the world class edifice that is the Second Niger Bridge after three decades of failed promises. It is now awaiting commissioning.
Obasanjo laid the sod for the bridge in his first term as elected President and work never started.
When he sought re-election for his second term in office, he returned to the site to turn the sod for the bridge the second time. When the Obi of Onitsha, forthright and scholarly, reminded him that he had done this in the past, Obasanjo told the foremost Southeast traditional ruler that he was a liar, in the full presence of the Chiefs and Oracles in his palace.
Obasanjo lied to the Southeast to get their votes. President Buhari didn’t get their votes but built the bridge because he believed it is the right thing to do.
Two, President Buhari had been bagging awards and encomiums for trying to do that which the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria says a leader should do: serve one, or a maximum of two terms and go.
President Buhari has been stating and restating that he will supervise a better election than the one that brought him to office and to leave as and when due.
Having tried tenure elongation and failed, Obasanjo’s fictitious mind must be telling him that he is the one under attack.
But he is not on President Buhari’s radar because experience has shown, especially lately in West Africa where there have been at least three successful coups and many other failed attempts, that third term or tenure elongation is a recipe for political instability.
Furthermore, the totality of African leaders appointed President Buhari the Anti-Corruption Champion of the continent.
You can’t be an anti-corruption champion if “you meddled and bent the rules,” carrying the putrid responsibility of what happened to national assets in the name of privatization as documented by the Nigerian Senate in 2011.
As an insight, the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, which was set up with $3.2 billion, was sold to a Russian firm, Russal, for a paltry $130million. Delta Steel, which was set up in 2005, at a cost of $1.5billion, was sold to Global Infrastructure for just $30million.
ALSCON got back $120million for the dredging of the Imo River, which was never carried out.
Three, which is linked to the one above is the growing profile of President Buhari as the Champion of Democracy not only at home and in the West African subregion but the African continent as whole.
As President, Obasanjo destabilized internal democracy by orchestrating impeachment after impeachment of governors who were not compliant with his highly imperial administration.
As we said sometime back, Mr. Obasanjo’s tenure, 1999-2007, represented the dark days of Nigeria’s democracy due to a slew of assaults on the constitution.
The former president deployed federal machinery to remove governors Joshua Dariye, Rashidi Ladoja, Peter Obi, Chris Ngige and Ayo Fayose from office. They were the then governors of Plateau, Oyo, Anambra, Anambra and Ekiti, respectively, unjustly removed using the police and secret service under his control.
Under him, a five-man legislature met at 6:00 am and “impeached” Governor Dariye in Plateau; 18 members out of 32 removed Governor Ladoja of Oyo from office; in Anambra, APGA’s Governor Obi was equally impeached at 5:00 a.m. by members who did not meet the two-thirds required by the constitution.
Lawmaking powers of the Rivers State legislature were transferred to the federal parliament to punish Governor Amaechi for shifting his political alliance.
Moreover, he damned the Supreme Court and unlawfully held back Lagos State revenues due from federal sources on account of his pettiness against Governor Bola Tinubu.
On the other hand, in Washington a few weeks ago, the US President Joe Biden at a meeting with African Heads of States and Government described President Buhari as a champion of democracy and role model for the leaders of African states.
Clearly, Obasanjo has become even more jealous by adopting a vengeful attitude.
Four, to say that “frying pan to fire” is the situation in Nigeria at this time should be read to mean a personal experience to him and we know what that means.
“Hell” for Obasanjo is when a President, any President that comes after him refuses to be his own puppet, to do as he wishes on all matters and at all times.
He then keeps attacking out of frustration.
Obasanjo’s vengeful attitude towards President Buhari is the height of selfishness and little short of moral squalor.”
The Guardian reports that this came as Labour Party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), yesterday, faulted criticisms trailing Obasanjo’s endorsement of the party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, saying current antagonists had earlier sought similar endorsement.
South West Coordinator of Obi-Datti PCC, Chief Sola Ebiseni, in a statement, noted: “Those who said his (Obasanjo’s) endorsement was worthless went to him with fanfare in Abeokuta, last August, seeking his endorsement
“And Nigerians still remember that Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, defiled all protocols to announce an Obasanjo endorsement, which never happened and was invariably denied by the former President.
“Obasanjo is an institution whose views are respected all over the world. His endorsement is sought by all the political parties and candidates.
“They may also wish to be reminded that in 2015, Obasanjo, in preference for equity, threw his weight against the candidate of his own Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), paving way for the then infant All Progressives Congress (APC) to clinch the Presidency.”
Ebiseni added: “The difference between Obi and other contestants is that the endorsements, which they do not get by spending billions, are given Obi voluntarily, and in good faith, by well meaning Nigerians.”
ALSO, a southwest political group, Conscience Bureau (CB), warned: “Obasanjo has endorsed Obi, but he appears to be working secretly to foist the APC on Nigerians, in an avowed commitment to lead Nigeria to destruction.”
The group said only the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, could be trusted with the task of salvaging Nigeria.
In a statement by General Secretary, Mr. Said Ologuneru, the group, therefore, called on Nigerians to discountenance the endorsement. The statement reads in part: “As widely reported by national newspapers in Nigeria on December 23, 2013, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Soyinka, had noted that Nigeria might be heading for a ‘shipwreck’ after the APC said it was choosing Chief Obasanjo as its ‘navigator’ in its touted effort to wrest power from then President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
“As nature had it, the ‘navigator’ led the APC into Aso Rock Villa, and President Muhammadu Buhari replaced Goodluck Jonathan. Today, we all are witnesses to the wreckage the nation’s ship has experienced.”
The statement adds: “Nigerians have to be wary of Tinubu, APC and Obasanjo, who colluded in 2015 to bring the clueless APC administration and the resultant hardship upon the country.
“Atiku represents Nigeria’s best opportunity to get out of the economic doldrums. He remains the best and most prepared candidate on offer.”
Meanwhile, decision by Nigerians this year could determine the nation’s survival, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has warned.
Obi, who spoke during his New Year message to Nigerians, said: “2023 is an existential year in the history of our nation. It is a year we all must unite against continued abuse of our nation’s democracy and economy. The power is in our hands to take back our nation and make it work.”
According to a statement, released by the Obi-Datti media office in Abuja, yesterday, the LP presidential candidate said he has made a pact with Nigerians and I would not leave any of his promises unfulfilled. “Nigerians can hold me accountable by my words of promise,” he said.
He also wished Nigerians a productive year and urged them to remain law abiding, while contributing to growth and development of the nation. In a related development, LP National Youth Leader, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, said Nigerian youths are willing to obey the clarion call by former President Obasanjo, as they do not wish to fall prey again to bad leadership.
Ahanotu said Obasanjo’s message to Nigerians “is clear, succinct, refreshing. And it has built more confidence in our hearts. I am pleased to inform that we are further motivated, inspired, encouraged, re-energised, united, resolutely committed to stand up and take our future in our hands.”
He added: “These clear endorsement of Mr. Peter Obi on the January 1, 2023, among other presidential candidates, by you, our elder statesman, is timeously very significant and has equally shown that you care about Nigeria’s state of affairs, and the stellar excellent leadership qualities you will want Nigerians to support.”
Obasanjo had endorsed Obi for the February 25 Presidential Election in a six-page New Year Message and Open Letter to Nigerians, who he described as his compatriots and friends, regretting that the last seven and a half years have been eventful and stressful for many Nigerians, who have moved from frying pan to fire and from mountain top to the valley.
According to him: “None of the contestants is a saint but when one compares their character, antecedent, their understanding, knowledge, discipline and vitality that they can bring to bear and the great efforts required to stay focused on the job particularly looking at where the country is today and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi as a mentee has an edge.
“Others like all of us have what they can contribute to the new dispensation to liberation, restoration and salvaging of Nigeria collectively.
“One other important point to make about Peter is that he is a needle with thread attached to it from North and South and he may not get lost. In other words, he has people who can pull his ears, if and when necessary. Needless to say that he has a young and able running mate with clean track record of achievement both in public and private life.
Noting that the country’s leaders had done their best, which had been inadequate for the country and her citizens at home and abroad, for whom it was hell on earth.
He said that he was constrained to write the letter to “especially young Nigerians, friends of Nigeria globally as well as our development partners because of the gravity, responsibility and implications of the collective decision Nigerians, both young and old, will be making within the next two months.”
The elder-statesman advised Nigerians to brace themselves “for the remaining few months of this administration and pray and work very hard for an immediate better future – future of liberation, restoration and great hope and expectation.”
On the forthcoming general elections, he said that he told the major contestants who he had interacted with, that the the instruments used from 1999 to 2007 and methodology are grossly inadequate to redress “the perilous situation we now find ourselves.”
According to him: “I have interacted with the major contestants and I find it interesting that, in one form or the other, each of them claims to want to do what I did during my Presidency and to take Nigeria back to where it was at the height of my Presidency and immediately after.
“I was pained that most of them do not realise that the Nigeria of today had been dragged down well below Nigeria of the beginning of my Presidency in June 1999. Although at that time, Nigeria was in very bad shape and was tottering on the verge of collapse and break-up.
“Even then, Nigeria was not faced with the level of pervasive and mind-numbing insecurity, rudderless leadership, buoyed by mismanagement of diversity and pervasive corruption, bad economic policies resulting in extremes of poverty and massive unemployment and galloping inflation.”
He knocked the ‘Emi Lokan’ (It is my turn) and ‘I have paid my dues’ as wrong attitude and mentality for the leadership of Nigeria now, and which “cannot form the new pedestal to reinvent and to invest in a new Nigeria based on an All-Nigeria Government for the liberation and restoration of Nigeria.”
According to him, the country urgently needs a government that must have representation from all sectors of the national life including the public, private, civil society, professional, labour, employers, and the diaspora. For this, he advised his countrymen and women to assess the candidates judiciously and choose wisely in the coming polls.
He urged the electorate to vote a president with outstanding leadership qualities of selflessness, courage, honesty, patriotism, character and fear of God beyond what the country has had in the recent past.
Obasanjo advised Nigerians against being confused, gullible or fooled by the candidates’ promises, as he challenged the youths particularly warning: “If we fall prey again, we will have ourselves to blame and no one can say how many more knocks Nigeria can take before it tips over. To be forewarned is to be fore-armed.
“Future is not emotion. I challenge the youth to arise. Let nobody pull wool over your eyes to divide you and/or segregate you to make you underlings.”
“Nigerian youth, wherever they come from, North or South, East or West need education which is now denied to over 20 million children; Nigerian youth also need skills, empowerment, employment, reasonably good living conditions, welfare and well-being.
