Following damning verdicts of former President Olusegun Obasanjo on President Goodluck Jonathan accusing him of plotting to truncate the nation’s democracy to remain in power, the president’s loyalists have slammed the former president describing the comments as unfortunate.
A Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Chief Olabode George, on Sunday in Lagos described the comments as unsavoury and unjust.
George was piqued with the comparison of Jonathan with ex- sit tight Ivory Coast ruler, Laurent Gbagbo.
He said; “Baba has served his own term, he has played his roles. I don’t want to conclude that his life would end up like Saul in the Bible.
“I will also want to call on our Obas to talk to Baba that he should remain at that pinnacle of respect because it is becoming too personal. No human being is perfect.”
On the postponement of the general elections, George faulted the former president’s position.
“If Baba had attended the Council of state meeting in Abuja, he would have understood why the elections were postponed.”
In the same manner, an arch-enemy of Obasanjo in Ogun State Prince Buruji Kashamu, who is also the Chairman, Organisation and Mobilisation Committee of the PDP South West berated the comments of former president calling for his arrest and investigation.
Kashamu who addressed newsmen yesterday said, “Let us not be deceived. As well-intentioned as Chief Obasanjo’s homily may seem, it is all lies. It is an open show of his manipulative skills and his well-known egoistic craving for power and relevance” he said.
“I urge Nigerians to be wise and conduct their independent investigations on claims by politicians”
Also the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, described Obasanjo as “a cancer that may never get cured in a lifetime”.
Fayose in a statement by his special assistant on Public communications alleged that Obasanjo is fighting Jonathan because Jonathan prevented Obasanjo from ruling Nigeria from his Ota Farm.
According to the statement signed by Lere Olayinka, Fayose believed that Jonathan will be re-elected to complete his eight year term.
“The moment Obasanjo is not the one controlling a house, he will want the house pulled down but this time around, he has failed.”
“Obasanjo has always benefitted from the misfortune of others and he is living with the impression that he is the wisest person in the whole world.
“When Murtala Mohammed was murdered in 1976, Obasanjo was the beneficiary.
“In 1993, he said the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, late Chief MKO Abiola was not the messiah Nigeria needed. Instead of Obasanjo to join the clamour for the actualisation of Abiola’s mandate, Obasanjo was canvassing for an Interim National Government, which he schemed to head.
“MKO Abiola died in detention in 1997 (1998) and Obasanjo became the beneficiary of his (Abiola) death.
“Despite the fact that it was the blood of MKO Abiola that Obasanjo marched on to power, not even a street was named after Abiola throughout Obasanjo’s eight years as president.
“Today, Obasanjo is fighting President Jonathan, the man who has done what he failed to do for Abiola, the Yoruba people and Nigerians as a whole when he was president for eight years, simply because he does not want anyone to equal his record as Nigeria’s longest serving president.
“President Jonathan has made it impossible for Obasanjo to run his presidency for him and for this reason, he is supporting Buhari, hoping that he will be the one to nominate ministers for Buhari if he becomes president.”
