Former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo has denied leaving the ruling
party, PDP, rather he explained his decision to be active only at the ward
level of his party till the leadership does what needs to be done.
Obasanjo, a former Chairman Board of Trustees of the PDP, who stated he
holds no grudge against anyone, made this known, on October 12, 2014,
Sunday, in a statement issued to newsmen in Abeokuta.
Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo
Obasanjo, however, said he had never left PDP and will never leave as it was
wrong for the party leaders to be inviting him back to the PDP, describing it as
a great misrepresentation.
He said his being passive in the party was based on “principle, morality,
honour, integrity, commitment and character which are paramount.”
Obasanjo said: “Last week when I was in South Africa as the chairman of AU
Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan, I received avalanche of news and
cacophony of appeals and pleadings from some quarters of PDP leadership.
“There are misunderstandings and misrepresentations which some of those
appeals and pleas manifested; hence this explanation from me. Talking of
inviting me back to PDP is wrong and it is a great misrepresentation as I have
never left PDP and I will never leave PDP.
“I have said it before and I will say it again, I rose to become the President of
Nigeria on the platform of PDP and for that reason alone, I will remain a card-
carrying and ward-active member of PDP for as long as I have to be a
political party member.
“Secondly, nobody has personally offended me as a result of my membership
of PDP. If, however, anybody or group feels offended by my continued
membership, I will offer an unreserved apology but continue to remain in the
Party.
“I have had occasions to say to the President, the Senate president and the
Party chairman separately that I have no quarrel with any individual or group
in the Party. There are, for me, issues of principle, morality, honour, integrity,
commitment and character which are paramount.
“For instance, as a former President of Nigeria, the chairman of West Africa
Commission on Drug and a member of Global Commission on Drug, I cannot
accept that the zonal leader of my political party and, worse still in my zone,
will be an indicted drug baron wanted in America.
“How do I explain that to friends outside Nigeria? This is only one of the many
issues that I have pointed and still pointing out. I have national and
international standard to maintain and reputation to keep and sustain. For
these reasons, I opted to remain active only at the ward level of the Party till
the leadership does the needful. But under no condition will my commitment
to Nigeria be diminished.
“And, for me, it is commitment to Nigeria first and any other commitment can
only follow in second or third place. Where any other commitment is in tandem
with what I see and understand as commitment to Nigeria, such other
commitment will share a pride of place with Nigeria.
“I must hasten to thank the President, the Senate president and the Chairman
of PDP with whom, at their instances, these issues have been discussed and
laid to rest. My interest and commitment to Nigeria go beyond partisan
politics.
“Today, Nigeria needs all hands on deck to deal with our pressing problems of
security including the issue of Chibok girls, widening inequality, infrastructure,
impunity, corruption, poverty and youth education, skill-acquisition,
empowerment and employment. These are issues of concern to most
Nigerians. We all need to join hands to move Nigeria forward. I don’t need to
be begged for that.
“Rather, I beg and appeal to those who are begging me to realize that we
must put Nigeria’s interest above politics – party or personal – otherwise, we
will all be judged at the bar of history if not the bar of current affairs. In
addition, we must preserve, sustain and deepen democracy and democratic
practices.”
On October 8, it was reported that the leadership of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) went to beg the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo,
in Abuja for forgiveness and asked him to come back to the party.
The PDP leaders included the National Chairman of the ruling party Alhaji
Adamu Muazu, Senate President David Mark and former governor of Ogun
State Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
“All of us must beg Obasanjo to forgive us. We need to beg him. He is very
prayerful and we need to ask him to forgive us so that we can be forgiven. We
are your children. We have made mistakes and baba, please forgive us. Come
and lead us. We are your followers and we assure you that we are all good
boys and girls. We have sinned. Baba please forgive us.”

Obj is now politically irrelevant and he knows it just that Gej is trying to lift baba image but baba is always stubborn only if the old man will resign finally at his ota farm will do him more good..

backtosender:
Obj is now politically irrelevant and he knows it just that Gej is trying to lift baba image but baba is always stubborn only if the old man will resign finally at his ota farm will do him more good..

Are you sure? why do pple from different parties wants him in their folds? my big question

duniyazola:
Are you sure? why do pple from different parties wants him in their folds? my big question

bros OBJ cannot even deliver his state to PDP during last election

backtosender:
bros OBJ cannot even deliver his state to PDP during last election

could it be that he allowed dat to happen coz of his new passive role?

duniyazola:
could it be that he allowed dat to happen coz of his new passive role?

How can he allow it to happen when OBJ cannot even gather 1million votes for PDP as a former president,he should save his face and retire back to his farm...

backtosender:
How can he allow it to happen when OBJ cannot even gather 1million votes for PDP as a former president,he should save his face and retire back to his farm...

talking about his relevance in the political scene, I still wonder why the Tinubus, David marks and the Buhari and co, went begging him to their folds, maybe he still has a big last card to play before he finnally retires from politics, my opinion

I'm an observant

kayboy4y:
I'm an observant

say sometin, especially if u are a Nigerian

This man OBJ....... Both good and evil maybe more evil.

Barywhyte:
This man OBJ....... Both good and evil maybe more evil.

so blunt