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.”
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.”
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.”
