..You will lose together PMB
former President Olusegun Obasanjo has endorsed the presidential flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2019 general elections.
He said he was willing to work with the former vice president to realize his presidential ambition and take the nation out of its challenges.
The former president made the declaration on Thursday after a closed-door meeting with Atiku who visited him at his residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Others who also visited him were the National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus; party chieftain, Olabode George; former Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and former Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel.
The former president said he was convinced that Atiku, who was the vice president during his tenure, has the capacity to perform better than the present administration.
He, therefore, asked the PDP’s flagbearer to uphold the constitution of the nation if elected as the president next year.
Speaking further, he called for a credible and fair exercise in 2019.
Meanwhile, president Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to Atiku’s endorsement, saying that he would loose together with Obasanjo. In a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, on Thursday.
“It is just eleven years ago that the former President (Obasanjo) and Vice President (Abubakar) in their ugly fight for power accused each other of corruption. Nigerians are yet to forget all that,” Mr Shehu said.
Mr Abubakar recently clinched the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party and is expected to be the main challenger to Mr Buhari in next year’s election.
Although he served as vice president to Mr Obasanjo for eight years, Mr Abubakar had been repeatedly castigated by the former president.
However, after a closed-door meeting mediated by religious and political leaders, Mr Obasanjo endorsed Mr Abubakar on Thursday.
Mr Obasanjo had in 2015 supported Mr Buhari for president, but later fell out with him saying Mr Buhari was managing Nigeria and its economy poorly.
The Presidency has received the news of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s predictable U-turn and somersault on the endorsement of the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, at a meeting Thursday, and to say that we are the least surprised by the well-rehearsed theatre.
They will lose together. Listening to the prepared statement of the former President after the meeting showed the usual ego trip and “I know it all” character of Chief Obasanjo.
In the first place, we dare to say that a pompous statement from the former President advising Nigerians on a vote against President Buhari is the best recommendation that can come at this time.
It also betrayed a lack of understanding of today’s politics which is about good governance.
The country voted for change in 2015 and a leader that ensures good governance which only President Buhari and the APC can provide.
Bent on these laudable goals, we will not allow ourselves to be distracted.
We are busy on various national issues including the restructuring and the diversification of the economy, fighting corruption, terrorism and other threats to national security; increasing the availability of electric power, improving education, health, and providing long-delayed infrastructure – roads, rail, airports and so forth.
Many governments have come and gone, but they did not care about some of these projects.
We were talking about these things for sixteen years under the PDP and nothing was done.
President Buhari is proud of his record because his achievements are verifiable, while that of the PDP is manifested by the devastating social and economic impact of large scale corruption during their governance.
The President will not relent in the war against corruption because the ordinary people are the ultimate victims if we surrender to corruption and let its perpetrators go unpunished.
Abandoning the war against corruption is not an option. President Buhari is in this battle against graft because he cannot allow a few, rapacious, and selfish class of the elite to divert the resources meant for the well-being of the ordinary people to their private pockets.
Nigerians trust President Buhari in this effort because they are convinced he is not in government for personal financial benefits, or for an ego trip. It is just eleven years ago that the former President and Vice President in their ugly fight for power accused each other of corruption. Nigerians are yet to forget all that.
