Abba Hamisu Sani
Africa-Press – Nigeria. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo can be describe as one the most influential African Politicians of today as he rule Nigeria from 1999 to 2007.
The elder states Man’s habit of writing open letters to those in authority and Nigerians in general is not unusually.
But the recent one generated a lot of reactions from all the political quarters across the country considering its content and the timing as Presidential election is fast approaching or just less than two month to the most important poll in Nigeria
In the former President letter , he described former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party Presidential Candidate Mr. Peter Obi as his Preferred choice as Nigeria’s President .
Obasanjo said Obi has all it takes to change Nigeria from it’s Present Condition to a better one by the virtue of his knowledge of the economy , dispiline ,vitality character and determination.
Why Obasanjo’s style of message shakes the polity all the time ?
The Former President method of sending Message to Nigerians is very unique interns of timing and the Target as he uses the open letter this time around to commemorate the new year and youths as his terget.
Among all the ex Nigeria’s Presidents alive OBJ as popularly known is the only elder States man with courage to speak his mind with out minding the Consequences.
During the 2015 election the former leader openly supported President Buhari against the incumbent Good luck Jonathan .The same man supported his former Deputy Atiku Abubakar against President Buhari in 2019 .
Now is ahead of 2023 election, beside of endorsing Labour Party Candidate he also said Nigeria became hell on earth under Buhari and scores APC low.
Why the Endorsement by the Ex two term President?
The endorsement attracted angry reactions from the All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance and the African Action Alliance which described his support for Obi as worthless.
The presidential candidates of the APC, Bola Tinubu; PDP, Atiku Abubakar; LP, Obi and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso are the frontrunners in the race to succeed President, Muhammadu Buhari in the poll.
In the 2023 New Year message signed by the former President and made available to newsmen by his aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo described the last seven years of the Buhari regime as horrible and hell on earth for most Nigerians.
The letter partly read, “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 had 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.’’
Appraising the suitability of the presidential standard bearers, Obasanjo accused them of deceit, adding that some of them had been trumpeting what was not realistic in a desperate bid to win the election.
The ex-president expressed anguish over the terrible state of the nation, stressing that the presidential candidates did not realise that Nigeria had been dragged down well below the level it was when he assumed office in 1999.
He admitted that Nigeria was in very bad shape and was tottering on the verge of collapse and break-up when he took office, but the nation, he added, was not faced with the current level of pervasive and minds numbing insecurity, rudderless leadership, mismanagement of diversity and pervasive corruption and bad economic policies, which he said had resulted in extremes of poverty and massive unemployment and galloping inflation.
“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 be gullible. Let us be cautious, not to be fooled again,’’ he advised the electorate.
In endorsing the ex-Anambra State governor, the elder statesman said a suitable presidential candidate must have “a track record of ability and performance; a vision that is authentic, honest and realistic; character and attributes of a lady and a gentleman who are children of God and obedient to God.” He reitreated Hinting that Obi possessed the attributes and attitudes necessary to successfully directing the affairs of Nigeria at a time like this, Obasanjo expressed support for Obi and called on Nigerian youths to vote for him.
The former president stated, “None of the contestants is a saint but when one compares their character, antecedents, 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 personally had, Peter Obi as a mentes has an edge.
“Others like all of us have what they can collectively contribute to the new dispensation to liberation, restoration and salvaging of Nigeria. One other important point to make about Peter is that he is a needle with thread attached to it from North and South and he may not get lost.
“In other words, he has people who can pull his ears, if and when necessary. He has a young and able running mate with a clean track record of achievement both in public and private life.”Obasanjo Stated While expressing respect for all the presidential candidates whom he said claimed to be his mentees, Obasanjo buttressed his choice of Obi with the argument that the aspiration to lead the country should be a collective quest and not a personal or selfish ambition.
He described Obi as his mentee, stressing that the former Anambra State governor had an edge in the 2023 elections.
In a veiled reference to Tinubu and Atiku’s stance that it was their turn to lead the country and on their claims that they have paid their dues, the former leader said, “Let me say straight away that ‘Emi Lokan’ (It’s my turn) and ‘I have paid my dues’ are one and the same thing and are wrong attitude and mentality for the leadership of Nigeria now.
“They cannot form the new pedestal to reinvent and to invest in a new Nigeria based on an All-Nigeria Government for the liberation and restoration of Nigeria. Such a government must have representation from all sectors of our national life – public, private, civil society, professional, labour, employers, and the diaspora. The solution should be in ‘we’ and ‘us’ and not in ‘me’ and ‘I’.’’
Taking a jibe at the APC and PDP presidential candidates who are septuagenarian, respectively, the former head of State further contended that both men may not be able to provide the vigour, energy, agility, dynamism and outreach that the job of leadership of Nigeria at the very top required.
“The vigour, energy, agility, dynamism and outreach that the job of leadership of Nigeria requires at the very top may not be provided as a septuagenarian or older. I know that from personal experience. And it is glaring out of our current experiences. Otherwise, we will be fed with, “The President says” and we will neither see nor hear him directly as we should,’’ he warned.
Obasanjo, who led the nation between 1999 and 2007 said Nigerians have a unique opportunity to position the nation on the right trajectory by voting for the right person, adding that those preaching division, segregation, and separation simply want to use the nation’s diversity for their selfish interest, describing them as the enemies of the nation.
The former military head of state appealed to Nigerian youths to take charge of their future by deploying their large population to reposition the nation on the path of change and progress in the next polls.
‘’The power to change is in your hands. Your future, my future, and the future of grandchildren and great-grandchildren are in your hands. Politics and elections are a numbers game. You have the numbers, get up, stand up and make your numbers count.
He appeal to the young Nigerians to stop inheriting other people’s prejudices and enemies as he urged them to make their own friends and stop inheriting their father’s enemies. ” Let’s stop criminalising and demonizing one another on the basis of the civil war on which we are all wrong. And let’s praise and thank God for preserving the oneness of Nigeria,’’ he appealed.
Fight back by APC ,PDP and Presidency
Responding to Obasanjo’s lengthy message, the Director, Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council Bayo Onanuga
described the endorsement as worthless, adding that Obasanjo was a paperweight with no political goodwill or leverage anywhere in Nigeria to make anyone win a councillorship election let alone a presidential election.
In its comment, the People’s Democratic Party noted that the endorsement of the Labour Party’s standard bearer by the ex President was not as important as the endorsement of the Nigerian people who have resolved to elect a credible leader in the 2023 general election.
The National Publicity Secretary of the the party , Debo Ologunagba said, this during an Interview with PUNCH news paper . He added that What is important is the endorsement of the Nigerian people.
The endorsement of an individual no matter how highly placed does not translate to victory at the polls.
From the side of Presidency Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu faulted the comment, maintaining that his principal is ahead of Chief Obasanjo.
“Clearly, Obasanjo has become even more jealous by adopting a vengeful attitude. , to say that from ‘frying pan to fire’ is the situation in Nigeria at this time should be read to mean a personal experience to him and we know what that means,” he said in a statement.
“’Hell’ for Obasanjo is when a President, any President that comes after him refuses to be his own puppet, to do as he wishes on all matters and at all times. He then keeps attacking out of frustration Garba expressed.
For More News And Analysis About Nigeria Follow Africa-Press
