Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reacted to former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s endorsement of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as best candidate for February 25 presidential election.
Obasanjo in an open letter to Nigerians entitled, “My Appeal to all Nigerians, particularly Young Nigerians,” described the LP candidate as the one with best character, discipline, knowledge, vitality to turn around the fortunes of Nigerians.
Tinubu who spoke through Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media & Publicity APC Presidential Campaign Council said he would not lose sleep over Obasanjo’s support for Peter Obi which he noted was an open secret.
Tinubu dismissed the former President as a paper weight whose endorsement was worthless.
“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. ”
The APC PCC statement read in part:”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, 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.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
In his own reaction, National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Barrister Felix Morka said the ruling party was not miffed as he noted that the former president is entitled to cast only one vote on election day.
He said:” Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is a Nigerian citizen entitled to his fundamental freedom of association. He is at liberty to endorse or vote for a candidate of his choice.
Like other Nigerians, he has just one vote, no more. Our party is unperturbed by another one of his many unrequited letters. The former President had the uncommon opportunity to govern this country twice in one lifetime. The vitality or lackluster record of his two tours of duty is for Nigerians and posterity to judge. We are confident that Nigerians would not afford former President Obasanjo a third tour of duty even by proxy, howsoever presented or packaged. We remain focused on our mission to persuade Nigerians to renew our mandate at the upcoming polls, and we are positive that Nigerians will elect our visionary Candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next President of our dear country.”
