Obasanjo should leave Jonathan alone –Ex-minister

From ISMAIL  OMIPIDAN, Kaduna

A former minister and chieftain of the rul­ing Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP), has described former Presi­dent Olusegun Obasanjo’s outburst against President Goodluck Jonathan as unbe­coming of a statesman, say­ing there was nothing Jona­than has done so far that is out of place.

Speaking with Daily Sun in confidence yesterday, the PDP chieftain noted that Obasan­jo’s attacks on Jonathan and praise of General Muhamma­du Buhari, presidential can­didate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was capable of polarising the country.

He argued that whatever misgivings Obasanjo might have against Jonathan, he should know that national in­terest and stability of the coun­try should be the overriding considerations and therefore, he should be more circum­spect, rather than discuss the issues in “the market place.”

The ex-minister noted that what had suddenly become Obasanjo’s new vocation of attacking Jonathan was tanta­mount to desecrating the of­fice of the president, and not the holder of the office, add­ing: “I think he should not des­ecrate the very office he held, no matter how disappointed he may be with Jonathan.”

While insisting that Obasanjo owes it a duty to ac­cord the respect that is due to the office of the President, to it, the former governor, who went down memory lane, fur­ther said: “Tell me one thing that Jonathan has been ac­cused of, and which his prede­cessors did not do or were not accused of. Just tell me one?”

He said: “Well, let me list them for you, as far as my memory can take me. When Obasanjo served his first term, and he wanted a second term, were there no attempts to stop him?

In fact, he practically went through insults, blackmail and humiliation before he got his second term ticket. We all know the role Ghali Na’Aba (former speaker), who was seen as a northern champion, played, fighting Obasanjo. Af­ter the second term, was there no attempt to get a tenure extension, through the Third Term Agenda? We know the roles played by Mantu (for­mer deputy senate president), Ribadu and El-Rufai in this re­gard. Were they also not aban­doned, the same way Obasan­jo is today feeling he has been abandoned by Jonathan? Did IBB not try to perpetuate him­self in power? What about Abacha? So, forget about what happened to their attempts.

“As a two-time Head of State, he must apply the brakes, and join hands with our great party to salvage the current situation the PDP has found itself. It is true that PDP is going through some chal­lenges, but is Buhari the op­tion?

He should remember that Nigerians, through the PDP’s platform made him president, at the time he least expected. Therefore, he owes the party a lot, as the first democratically elected President, produced by the party. Caution must be his watchword.”

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