By Olusegun Olanrewaju
A heavy spat of words and wits ensued yesterday between the political camps of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and the opposition of All Progressives Congress (APC), presidential candidate Bola Tinubu, as well as other sections over the former’s endorsement of the Labour Party (LP), ‘s candidate, Peter Obi for this year’s 2023 election.
The eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation raged everywhere newsy yesterday.
The statement endorsed by the former president, publicly endorsed Obi for the February 25 presidential election race in the country.
Obasanjo, a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the political party in the country under whose flag he ruled the country for two terms from 2019 to 2007, had, in his random tendency, been passing some ‘cryptic messages’ to Nigerians about whom they should vote for as their next president this year.
The first of such recorded occasions came when the former military head of state was spotted first placing Obi on his seat at a recent public function. The x-Owu, Abeokuta warlord was also seen attending an event with the former Anambra State governor Obi, after which he said nobody could threaten him over his choice of candidate for the fast-approaching presidential and another segment of the general election.
However, in his most recent message, the former military-cum-civilian leader was accused of brazenly asking Nigerians, particularly the youths, to vote for Obi “because he has an edge over other politicians vying for the exalted office of the president”.
•’Obi is a needle with thread attached to it from North, South and may not get lost’
Obasanjo was quoted to have written, among other smoky issues, in a New Year message to Nigerians: “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 had, Peter Obi as a mentee has an edge.”
Starting on an apparent ‘seducing note’, Obasanjo had in the opening/salutatory note in his missive, “Happy New Year! May all our national calamities disappear in 2022!
“I am constrained to write this letter to all Nigerians, 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 made within the next two months.
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 the mountain top to the valley. Our leaders have done their best, but their best has turned out to be not the best for Nigeria and Nigerians at home and abroad. For most Nigerians, it was hell on earth.
Those of us who are alive should thank God for His mercies, brace ourselves for the remaining few months of this administration and pray and work very hard for an immediate better future – a future of liberation, restoration, and great hope and expectation.”
The latter added, We have had campaigners going up and down the country feeding us with what they mean and what they do not mean, what they understand and what they do not fully understand, what is possible and what is not possible, what is realistic and what is unrealistic, what is true and what is untrue. I believe that we need not be confused or 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.
“I was pained that most of them do not realise that the Nigeria of today had been dragged down well below Nigeria at 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.
•His opinion doesn’t reflect the views of Nigerians- PDP
Meanwhile, the Presidential Campaign Organisation of Atiku/Okowa has said Obasanjo’s subjective support for the LP presidential candidate is his wish which does not reflect the opinion or position of the overwhelming majority of Nigerians across the country.
The statement read: “While former President 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 of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to rescue and rebuild our nation from the APC misrule.
“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.’
“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 the record of ability and performance, authentic vision, honesty, and character; physical and mental capacity; the very indices set by the former President.”
Why I met with Udom at my residence in Port Harcourt-Wike
•Tinubu: We pity LP candidate for relying on an ex-president who can’t win home state
In reaction to Obasanjo’s broadened, the presidential candidate of the ruling APC, Tinubu reacted to the endorsement of Obi by Obasanjo, describing its univalent colours.
The reaction came through one of Tinubu’s ‘main men’, Bayo Onanuga, who is now the ruling party’s campaign council media and publicity director.
In what was styled a preliminary response to the development’ the reaction, however, conceded to what it referred to as ‘the democratic rights of the former president to endorse anyone’.
The APC standard bearer recalled how Obasanjo’s adopted candidates had lost elections in the past, declaring that not even in Obasanjo’s home state, Ogun, could anyone rely on his endorsement to be governor or councillor.
A statement to this effect alluded, ‘with amusement’ to the endorsement of the LP presidential candidate by Obasanjo in his New Year message yesterday.
“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,” the statement kicked off.
It added, “We respect the democratic right of former President Obasanjo to support and endorse any candidate of his choice in any election.
“Except that he made it known formally in his new year message, any discerning political watcher in Nigeria knows that Chief Obasanjo’s preference for Peter Obi is expected. He had earlier stated his position at various public events, the last being at the 70th birthday anniversary of Chief John Nwodo, former President of Ohaneze Ndigbo in Enugu.
“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.”
According to the Tinubu camp, “the endorsement is worthless because the former President does not possess any political goodwill or leverage anywhere in Nigeria to make anyone win a councillor election, let alone win a presidential election. He is a political paperweight.”
Attempting to rubbish Obasanjo’s democratic credentials, the statement noted, “He (Obasanjo) is also not a democrat anyone should be proud to be associated with.”
It stated, “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.
“Chief Obasanjo’s endorsement is not a political currency Mr. Peter Obi can spend anywhere in Nigeria because he is not a political force, even in his part of the country.”
The statement further noted that “Obasanjo similarly endorsed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party candidate in 2019 against President Muhammadu Buhari. Atiku was walloped by Buhari with a wide margin in the election.
“History will repeat itself in February as our candidate, Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu will equally beat Obi by a large margin.
“We take particular notice of the part of the endorsement statement where Chief Obasanjo said none of the presidential candidates is a saint.
“We want to state here that Chief Obasanjo is not a good judge of character. He is a man who considers only himself as the all-knowing saint in Nigeria.
“Over the years, Chief Obasanjo has also convinced himself that integrity, honesty, and all good virtues begin and end with him.”
