The Pan African Forum has rejected the African Union’s decision to name former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo as head of the AU election observer team to Zimbabwe’s July 31st election.

David Nyekorach-Matsanga, CEO of Pan African Forum, said the former Nigerian president is too divisive and could create an Egypt-style scenario in Zimbabwe.

The group described former Obasanjo as a traitor who has betrayed Africa during past election monitoring missions around the continent.

Nyekorach-Matsanga said Obasanjo has a dislike for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and a “soft spot” for the opposition, something he said could cause a conflict of interest in the election.

“We don’t have any personal hatred against General Obasanjo, but this is a man who can never be trusted to observe any elections in this African continent,” he said.
Nyekorach-Matsanga said the Zimbabwe elections are critical not only to the southern Africa region, but to the whole of Africa.

“We need sober minds, a cool observer, a person who is not erratic, a person who has not betrayed Africa before, a person who has never used double standard, and a person who has never failed election observers before,” he said.

He said Obasanjo betrayed Africa during past election monitoring missions around the continent.

“In Ghana, Obasanjo created a problem when he was the leader of an observer team; in Togo, Obasanjo created a problem;in Senegal, Obasanjo created a problem; in DRC, when Obasanjo was the leader of the negotiations between (renegade CNDP rebel leader Laurent) Nkunda and the Congolese government, he created a problem and aborted that mission,” he said.

Nyekorach-Matsanga said the former Nigerian president has no democratic credentials to lead a continental election monitoring mission because, as president of Nigeria, Obasanjo attempted to change the constitution in 2006 to give himself a third term.

In addition, Nyekorach-Matsanga said Obasanjo cannot be an impartial observer because he has in the past called Mugabe’s resignation.

“Obasanjo has called for the removal of President Mugabe violently. He has also taken sides with Morgan Tsvangirai. It is very, very incredible for any institution to take a man who has already taken sides to go and observe an election in a country that is facing an uphill task to produce a free and fair election,” he said.

Nyekorach-Matsanga boasts of the fact that his organization defended Zimbabwe against Western sanctions. Yet, he said, he’s not biased in criticizing Obasanjo.

“We have not only been supporters of President Mugabe, we have been supporting the entire country against sanctions. We are not rejecting Obasanjo because we hate MDC. No! We are only saying the elections in the Zimbabwe need a sober head, somebody whose track record is not litter with lies like Obasanjo,” Nyekorach-Matsanga said.

The AU observer mission is said to comprise 60 observers drawn from African electoral management bodies, civil society organizations, Pan-African Parliament, regional economic communities and human rights organizations.

http://www.voanews.com/a/1707268.html

http://www.africanspotlight.com/2013/07/23/pan-african-forum-rejects-obasanjo-as-au-observer-head-in-zimbabwe/

choi!
2 much influence.

Reading between the lines.

LOL @OBJ observing elections.
They should send Anyaoku instead.

OBJ....hate him or love him, he is still very much relevant and influential in Nigeria and Africa.
OBJ is an INSTITUTION in Africa, haters should live with it.

obj na so people dey fear your gorilla face ....chai any body wey luk ur face go think say na so your heart and mind dey lol make i reserve my comment.....,..,.!

Obj here Obj dere
Someone shud tell dis man to come down to OTA and concentrate on his farm work.

“We don’t have any personal
hatred against General Obasanjo,

you don't have any personal hatred and you said this,

“We need sober minds, a cool
observer, a person who is not
erratic, a person who has not
betrayed Africa before, a person
who has never used double
standard, and a person who has
never failed election observers
before,” he said.
He said Obasanjo betrayed Africa
during past election monitoring
missions around the continent.
“In Ghana, Obasanjo created a
problem when he was the leader
of an observer team; in Togo,
Obasanjo created a problem;in
Senegal, Obasanjo created a
problem; in DRC, when Obasanjo
was the leader of the
negotiations between (renegade
CNDP rebel leader Laurent)
Nkunda and the Congolese
government, he created a
problem and aborted that
mission,” he said.
Nyekorach-Matsanga said the
former Nigerian president has no
democratic credentials to lead a
continental election monitoring
mission because, as president of
Nigeria, Obasanjo attempted to
change the constitution in 2006
to give himself a third term.

Obj na obj. Lyk him or hate him

OMO NO BE SMALL THING OOO! GARRI WEY I DEY DRINK HERE COMOT FOR MY NOSE AS I WAS READING THIS....... CHOI!!!
NDI A CHORO IRI OBJ....... NNA MEHN KA M GBAWAGODI DOOR.....*breaks door*



3rd to comment........ Lolxxxxxx

Thank God people are beginning to see OBJ for who he is. He's a true double crosser and a trouble maker. His expliot is known abroad also.
This guy has a dossieur on OBJ. Good work.

People think other people are not watching. Just because Nigerians cannot talk (cos of too much garri) does not mean other countries cannot....Serve him right...His time is over!!!

The man may be right but he has no moral standing to complain about obj.
He was trying too hard to discredit obj. The man is mugabe's loyalist.
I wonder if a man that is trying so hard to defend mugabe that is clocking 90 years should be taken serious! So he believes elections won by mugabe were free and fair!
Obj may be all and more than the guy said but he smacks of a paid agent who took time to research and discredit obasanjo because he knows obj would not be cowed into silence if he notices anomalies. At least obj would only be the head of the observers and not the only observer, others would give their opinion later when probed.

And what influence does an observer has over an electorate than give their opinion. It is this Pan Africa that is already heating d elections up.
And I agree OBJ appears to be d only one dt can defend d opposition if cheated by Mr Mugabe.

This is an honour for Nigeria. I hope GEJ will also be bringing Nigeria such honour in d international community when he leaves office in 2015. But first he needs to work on his personality, somebody might be watching

Obj, baba iyabo

topic should read : Mugabe Loyalist Rejects Obasanjo As AU Observer Head In Zimbabwe

.

But sha Obj worry oh. He causes trouble everywhere he goes.

The mistake most outside folks make is that they dont seem to realize that Democracy is alien to Nigerian leaders. In OBJ's time, a Governor was impeached by 11 out of 29 house members...after the 11 suspended the other 18 of their colleagues.

It has worsened under GEJ, where 16 is greater than 19....AND 5 IS GREATER THAN 27. shame on us all.

This guy has hit the nail on the head and anybody who feels contrary is only playing the Ostrich. We all know the bad roles Obj played in Ghana and Senegal. Enough already of this grand old wily man.

Monimatic: OBJ....hate him or love him, he is still very much relevant and influential in Nigeria and Africa.
OBJ is an INSTITUTION in Africa, haters should live with it.

Institution?

The call the man a traitor to his race and you say he is an institution

Remember he was in power when the CIA made the report on the disintergration of nigeria

Go figure.

HOW CAN SOMEBODY WHO COULDN'T ORGANIZE A FREE AND FAIR ELECTION IN HIS OWN COUNTRY GO AND SUPERVISE ELECTION IN ANOTHER COUNTRY? OBASANJO SHOULD GO AND REST BIKO AND LEAVE THIS MISSION ALONE. AFTERALL, U CANNOT GIVE WHAT U DON'T HAVE.

[quote ]...but this is a man who can never be trusted to ....[/quote]

The bolded is the key point. If some faction cannot trust him, he should be replaced ASAP.

oh my God,all those bad things done by just one man? this is bad for our country o

Make them send Tinubu , Dem go open him nyash well well

Monimatic: OBJ....hate him or love him, he is still very much relevant and influential in Nigeria and Africa.
OBJ is an INSTITUTION in Africa, haters should live with it.

He's a hypocrite with multiple persona!

ifyfaith: oh my God,all those bad things done by just one man? this is bad for our country o

So he did all those bad things and AU still consider him to be the man for the Job, then there must be something good they've seen in him that somebody is not saying

My command