Obasanjo under fire for endorsing LP candidate Obi
Tamarauemi Ebimini
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo came under fire last night for stucking his neck for Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi in next month’s election.
The two leading political parties – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – knocked the former President.
One-time External Affairs Minister Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi and a former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Usman Bugaje, expressed displeasure at the position of the ex-president, which he made known through an open letter released yesterday.
The letter was the unveiling of his support for the LP standard bearer, which he had surreptitiously done in the last few months.
Obasanjo’s letter was titled: “My appeal to all Nigerians, particularly young Nigerians”.
The former president, who praised himself for offering a responsible leadership, urged the youth to shun prejudices.
However, Bugaje expressed reservations about Obasanjo’s advice, saying he was not impressed by his past record.
Also faulting Obasanjo, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi described him as a leader responsible for Nigeria’s woes.
He said Obasanjo should emulate former military rulers – Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar – who are in retirement.
The APC-PCC, in a preliminary response through its Director, Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, said neither the party nor its candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will lose sleep over Obasanjo’s move.
“Obasanjo is notorious for always opposing progressive political forces, as he did against MKO Abiola in 1993.”
The council described the former president as a political paperweight, who lacked the political goodwill or leverage anywhere in the country to make anyone win a councillorship election, let alone win a presidential election.
The Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation (PCO) described the endorsement as a personal decision.
The campaign organisation, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the former President’s choice did not reflect the position of overwhelming majority of Nigerians.
