Victor EzejaPresidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, says he and his party are not perturbed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s endorsement of the presidential standard bearer of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi.
According to Tinubu, the endorsement holds no water as far as his presidential bid is concerned.
Obasanjo on Sunday, January 1, as part of his New Year message to Nigerians, released an open letter where he formally endorsed Peter Obi for the 2023 presidential elections and called on youths to rise up and choose a competent leader to rescue the country from the current challenges.
READ ALSO: 2023 Presidency: Peter Obi’s More Qualified, Says Obasanjo
Reacting to that, Tinubu described the endorsement of Obi by the former president as worthless, claiming that Obasanjo has no political goodwill to make a politician win an election in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council, the former governor of Lagos State said Obasanjo is not a democrat anyone should be proud to be associated with, adding that he would defeat Obi by “a large margin” in the 2023 presidential election.
Part of the statement reads: “We respect the democratic right of former President Obasanjo to support and endorse any candidate of his choice in any election.
“Except that he made it known formally in his new year message, any discerning political watcher in Nigeria knows that Chief Obasanjo’s preference for Peter Obi is expected. 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.
“We make bold to say that our party and candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not lose sleep over Obasanjo’s move, as Obasanjo is notorious for always opposing progressive political forces, as he did against MKO Abiola in 1993.
“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.
“He is also not a democrat anyone should be proud to be associated with.
“We recall that in 2003 and 2007 general elections when he was a sitting President, 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. In 2007, he declared the polls a do or die affair after he failed in his bid to amend our constitution to have a third term.
“From our records, President Obasanjo has not successfully made anyone win an election in Nigeria since then.
“Not even in Ogun State can anyone rely on his support or endorsement to become a governor or Councillor.
“We pity Peter Gregory Obi as we are confident that Chief Obasanjo cannot win his polling unit and ward in Abeokuta for Obi in the coming Presidential election on 25 February, 2023.”
He advised Obi not to rely on the endorsement, stating that Obasanjo is a spent political force.
“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.
“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.”
“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.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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