With less than two months to the commencement of the year 2023 general elections, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed who he is supporting to become the next president.
He openly endorsed presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, declaring that he remains the most qualified of all the presidential candidates that will keep the country united.
He also implored Nigerians not to be deceived when choosing the next president.
The former president, who condemned the “Emi Lokan” attitude of the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, specifically asked Nigerian youths to rise up and vote Obi and his running mate, Datti Ahmed as the next president to rescue their future from the hands of those intending to ruin it.
Obasanjo made his position known yesterday in his New Year message titled, “My appeal To All Nigerians, Particularly Young Nigerians”, which he personally signed in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
In the New Year message, the former president noted that he has carefully listened to and personally analysed all the four presidential contestants before settling for the candidature of Obi, describing him as a “needle with thread attached to it from North and South and he may not get lost.”
He stated: “I believe that we need not be confused nor be gullible. Let us be cautious, not to be fooled again. 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.
“Let me say straight away that ‘Emi Lokan’ (My turn) and ‘I have paid my dues’ are one and the same thing and are the wrong attitude and mentality for the leadership of Nigeria now. They 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.
“Such a government must have representation from all sectors of our national life – public, private, civil society, professional, labour, employers, and the diaspora. The solution should be in ‘we’ and ‘us’ and not in ‘me’ and ‘I’.
“I reiterate that no human being is an angel let alone a Messiah, but there are elements of these attributes and on comparative basis and by measure of what we know of and what some of us have experienced from the front-runners, we must assess judiciously and choose wisely. If anybody claims he or she has anything to the contrary, it will be up to him or her to prove to us”.
Noting further that none of the contestants is a saint, Obasanjo said in contrasting 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”.
Obasanjo in his open letter to all Nigerians maintained that his endorsement of Obi and Datti Ahmed was premised on fact that of all the major contestants who claimed to be his mentees, his verdict on them was that Obi’s candidature conveniently scaled the tripod of a 4-point TVCP huddle of his assessments.
“From interaction and experience and as mentees as most of them claim, I will, without prejudice, fear or ill-will, make bold to say that there are four major factors to watch out for in a leader you will consider to hoist on yourself and on the rest of Nigerians in the coming election and they are what I call TVCP.
“TVCP: Track record of ability and performance; Vision that is authentic, honest and realistic; Character and attributes of a lady and a gentleman who are children of God and obedient to God; and Physical and mental capability with soundness of mind as it is a very taxing and tasking assignment at the best of times and more so it is at the most difficult time that we are,” he stated.
Lamenting what he described as a “Seven and half of stressful years”, the former president declared that Nigerian leaders have done their best to save the country and need to take their deserved rest so that they can “enjoy their retirement as Septuagenarians or older”.
He however passionately appealed to Nigerian youths not to allow anybody to brainwash them to inherit other people’s prejudices and enemies.
Obasanjo Has History Of Failed Endorsements – Tinubu
But presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, dismissed Obasanjo’s endorsement of Obi, saying it is worthless.
Acknowledging that it was within the democratic rights of the former president to endorse anyone, Tibunu however said Obasanjo lacks the goodwill and political clout to produce even a local council councillor.
He recalled that past candidates Obasanjo adopted had lost elections in the past, adding that not even in his home state, Ogun, can anyone rely on the former leader’s endorsement to be governor or councillor.
Speaking through the director, Media and Publicity, of the APC presidential campaign council, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu expressed sympathy for Mr Obi who he said is on his way to joining the lost of losers endorsed by Obasanjo in the past.
According to the APC standard bearer, the former president has a history of failed endorsements.
In a statement he issued yesterday evenin, Onanuga said “We read with amusement the endorsement of Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his New Year message on Sunday.
“Following calls by journalists from various media houses who asked for our reaction we decided to make this preliminary statement, though we didn’t consider the so-called endorsement to be of any value.
“We respect the democratic right of former President Obasanjo to support and endorse any candidate of his choice in any election”.
Tinubu noted that any discerning political watcher in Nigeria would have known Obasanjo’s preference for Obi was expected.
The former Lagos governor said Obasanjo is not a democrat who anyone should be proud to be associated with, adding that he would not lose any sleep over the development.
Onanuga continued: “We make bold to say that our party and candidate, Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not lose sleep over Obasanjo’s move, as Obasanjo is notorious for always opposing progressive political forces, as he did against MKO Abiola in 1993.
“The endorsement is actually worthless because the former President does not possess any political goodwill or leverage anywhere in Nigeria to make anyone win a Councillorship election let alone win a Presidential election. He is a political paperweight.
“He is also not a democrat anyone should be proud to be associated with.
“We recall that in 2003 and 2007 general elections when he was a sitting President, Obasanjo used all the coercive instruments of State at his disposal to railroad people into elective offices against the will of Nigerians as expressed at the polls. In 2007, he declared the polls a do-or-die affair after he failed in his bid to amend our constitution to have a third term.
“From our records, President Obasanjo has not successfully made anyone win an election in Nigeria since then.
“Not even in Ogun State can anyone rely on his support or endorsement to become a governor or Councillor.
“We pity Peter Gregory Obi as we are confident that Chief Obasanjo cannot win his polling unit and ward in Abeokuta for Obi in the coming Presidential election on 25 February 2023.
It’s Ex-president’s Personal Opinion – PDP
Also, the opposition PDP said the subjective support for Obi by Obasanjo is his personal wish, which does not reflect the opinion or position of the overwhelming majority of Nigerians across the country.
Spokesperson, PDP campaign organization, Kola Ologbondiyan, said while Obasanjo is entitled to his personal opinion, as remarkable as it may appear, it remains individualistic and cannot redirect Nigerians from their determination to rally with the more experienced, more proficient and more accepted presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
He said, “What is surprising to the majority of Nigerians is that in the face of the alarming challenges facing the nation, which requires a tried and tested hand, former President Obasanjo is suggesting a candidate that has not had any experience in governance at the national level.
“In any case, Chief Obasanjo’s opinion cannot sway Nigerians who can easily remember how he endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari, whose administration, he (Obasanjo) now describes as “stressful years for many Nigerians,” during which our nation “moved from frying pan to fire and from mountain top to the valley.”
Ologbondiyan said it is extremely difficult for Nigerians, particularly the youth demography, to accept Obasanjo’s opinion as the solution to the myriad of challenges facing the nation today because the last candidate he introduced, by his own estimation, failed Nigerians.
He added that none of the Presidential candidates has the experience, capacity, tenacity of purpose, presence of mind and readiness to serve like Atiku Abubakar.
“Atiku remains the most widely accepted candidate, whose choice is not predicated by sectional, tribal, ethnic or religious sentiments or the endorsement of any individual, high or low, but by record of ability and performance, authentic vision, honesty and character; physical and mental capacity; the very indices set by the former President.
“It is instructive to state that every claim by former President Obasanjo on the success of his administration is a reflection of the performance of Atiku Abubakar as his Vice President and Chairman of the National Economic Council during which our nation achieved unprecedented economic growth to become one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
“It therefore amounts to a disservice for the former President to make subjective suggestion even when it is clear that if a hand like Atiku Abubakar with their shared experience is brought to the forefront of governance, our nation will be rescued from this current sullen state.
In same vein, spokesperson and director, Public Affairs, of the PDP presidential campaign management, Senator Dino Melaye, said Obasanjo will be alive to see Atiku emerge president in 2023.
“Baba is talking his age. America, the most civilized Democracy on earth, voted for over 70. How was he Obasanjo in 1999? How old was he when he wanted 3rd term as President. Baba should cure himself from the inherent hatred for Atiku.
“ Obasanjo will be alive, and Atiku will be president. Peter Obi can only be President of Rotary Club. Nigeria is too big for him. Burger is not food monkeys. Shoe has sizes,” Melaye said.
Atiku Reaches Out To 11 APC Governors
Meanwhile, 11 APC governors and 52 National Assembly members of the same party are currently working underground for Atiku ahead of the election, the PDP presidential campaign organisation revealed yesterday.
Spokesperson of the campaign organisation, Daniel Bwala, told LEADERSHIP that as of the first week of December 2022, 37 senators and 15 House of Representatives elected under the platform of APC are working for Atiku’s victory in the 2023 presidential election.
He stated this while reacting to a claim by former commissioner for Information in Edo State Prince Kassim Afegbua, who said Atiku met with three APC governors in Dubai recently.
Afeguba had said , “I am aware and have it on good authority that the Atiku group held a meeting with three APC Governors in Dubai, but it won’t yield any positive result.”
But Bwala said, “As early as the first week of December, we already have 11 APC governors that are supporting our cause and it is still counting. We have 37 APC senators and 15 House of Reps members. That was the first week of December. You can imagine by now how much more we would have gained.”
Atiku Tackles Tinubu On Meeting With G-5 Govs
Similarly, special assistant, Public Communication, to Atiku Abubakar, Phrank Shaibu, said Tinubu lied by denying ever meeting the G-5 governors in London.
Shaibu said the APC presidential candidate resorted to lies over the meeting upon realizing the reactions that have trailed “his ignoble meeting with the G-5 Governors.”
He stated: “Incidentally, Governor Nyesom Wike, who is known for his bravado, had failed to deny ever meeting with Tinubu, saying instead that “They said we had a meeting with so and so. What is your problem?” I make bold to state that if the G-5 never met with Tinubu, Wike would have been the one to deny it.
“Curiously, while the news of the meeting, which was reported by several credible media houses was trending, two spokesmen for the APC Presidential campaign, Festus Keyamo and Femi Fani-Kayode, took to social media to celebrate the support Tinubu would be getting from the G-5.”
He said On Facebook, Fani-Kayode specifically stated: “The endorsement and declaration of support that Bola Ahmed Tinubu will get from at least six (not just five) governors from the PDP this January will finally put to rest the delusion that Atiku will stubbornly harbour about winning the 2023 Presidential election.”
Shaibu added that it is funny that it took three whole days after reports of the meeting before Tinubu decided it was time to put out a statement denying it ever held.
“It is also awfully coincidental that the G-5 and Tinubu all decided to travel to London at the same time and depart at the same time with Tinubu proceeding to Saudi Arabia and the other governors returning to Nigeria.
“Incidentally, Tinubu had also in August denied plans of meeting the G-5 only for Wike to later issue a statement confirming that they indeed met with Tinubu and other candidates separately. Tinubu’s latest denial should therefore be discarded as another lie.
“For Nigerians who wonder why Tinubu would deny such a meeting ever held, the reason is because the details of the meeting are too messy and the APC candidates in the five states are fighting back.
“All the G-5 governors are on the ballot except for Governor Wike and there is a fight back from the APC governorship and National Assembly candidates from the affected states where the G-5 Governors hold sway.
