By Samuel Ogude (Warri)
The Leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) said the former President of the federal Republic of Nigeria, Olusengu Obasanjo is notorious for always opposing progressive political forces saying, that is his usual character as he did against MKO Abiola in 1993.
In a press statement signed by Bayo Onanuga the Director, Media and Publicity APC Presidential Campaign Council on January 1, following the endorsement of Mr Peter Obi the Presidential Candidate for 2023 election on the platform of Labour Party said, it recalled that in 2003 and 2007 general elections when he(Obasanjo) was a sitting President, how he (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. The statement said in 2007, he declared the polls a do- or- die affair after he failed in his bid to amend the constitution to have a third term.
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According to the statement, the leadership of APC considered the endorsement as worthless because the former President does not have any political goodwill or leverage anywhere in Nigeria to make anyone win a Councillorship election let alone win a Presidential election.
Part of the statement reads:”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”.
According to the statement, without doubt, it is clear that Obasanjo is in support of Mr Peter Obi as 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. According to the statement, the party and the candidate respect the democratic right of former President Obasanjo to support and endorse any candidate of his choice in any election.
It said Obasanjo is also not a democrat anyone should be proud to be associated with saying, from records, the former President Obasanjo has not successfully made anyone win election in Nigeria since then, saying, even in Ogun State, no can rely on his support or endorsement to become a Governor or Councilor.
It further said:” We pity Peter Gregory Obi as we are confident that Chief Obasanjo can not 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”.
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The statement recalled how Chief 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 saying, History will repeat itself in February as Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu will equally beat Obi by a large margin.
The statement said:”We take a 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.
It would be recalled on Sunday, in his New Year message, the former President Olusegun Obasanjo endorsed Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate which has sparked off discussions across the nation and beyond.