— Keyamo, Melaye, Tanko Yakasai, criticize Obasanjo’s endorsement of Obi
By Andrew Ngozi Okonye
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has reacted to the endorsement of Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate, by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday, January 1, 2023.
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In a "preliminary statement" sent to the press by Bayo Onanuga, the director of media and publicity, the campaign council said it did not consider the endorsement to be of any value.
Bola Tinubu says Obasanjo's endorsement of Peter Obi for the 2023 presidency is worthless. However, the statement declared that it respects the democratic right of former President Obasanjo to endorse any candidate of his choice.
"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."
Tinubu will not lose sleep over Obasanjo's endorsement of Peter Obi Onanuga further said his principal, Tinubu, will not lose sleep over Obasanjo’s endorsement of Obi which he described as worthless.
The statement read further: "We make bold to say that our party and candidate, Asíwájú 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 election in Nigeria since then. "Not even in Ogun State can anyone rely on his support or endorsement to become a governor or Councillor." Obasanjo cannot win his polling unit for Peter Obi.
The APC presidential council said it pitied Peter Obi, saying Obasanjo cannot win his polling unit in Abeokuta for the Labour Party flag bearer. It noted that the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, got Obasanjo's endorsement in 2019 but still lost the election. "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.
Tinubu or Peter Obi? Obasanjo drops new open letter, reveals his anointed presidential candidate "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. "History will repeat itself in February as our candidate Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu will equally beat Obi by a large margin." Obasanjo is not a good judge of good character, says APC campaign.
While endorsing Obi, Obasanjo said there is no saint among the presidential candidates. However, the APC campaign said the former president does not have the moral credential to judge anyone. "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," the statement concluded.
Keyamo, Melaye, Tanko Yakasai, criticize Obasanjo’s endorsement of Obi
More criticisms on Monday trailed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s endorsement of Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Official Spokesperson for All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council and Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamio (SAN), said Obasanjo was within his rights to endorse Obi.
He said the endorsement meant that Obasanjo does not think his former deputy and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, deserved to be President.
Keyamo also believes the former president’s choice does not affect APC presidential flagbearer Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The minister tweeted: “Quite within OBJ’s right to endorse anyone, but bad for PDP in two ways:
“Atiku’s former boss does not think he deserves to be President this time around.
“The little support OBJ gave PDP in 2019 & they failed, he has taken that away to LP. No effect at all on @officialABAT.”
Director, Public Affairs of the Campaign Council, Dino Melaye, disagreed with Obasanjo’s reference to age as a reason for choosing Obi.
According to him, if America, the most civilised democracy on earth can elect 70-year-old Joe Biden as president, then age does not matter.
Elder statesman Tanko Yakasai also slammed Obasanjo for endorsing Obi, who he predicted would come third.
He said: “Obasanjo’s endorsement is insignificant.
“The 2023 contest is a race between two top contenders, and even the gap between the major contender is so wide that no one will waste his or her vote on a contestant that is far far behind these big two.”
An APC member, Adamu Garba, claimed Obasanjo was envious of his party’s presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He tweeted: “Envy is an immense disease. I respect & continue to respect General Olusegun Obasanjo.
“However, I advise him to outgrow his envy of Tinubu at this stage of his life.
“Obasanjo is desperately envious of the rise and shine of Bola Ahmed Tinubu; his loss in this one is sure to come.”
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