Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on
Friday openly declared his support for the re-
election of the state governor, Senator Ibikunle
Amosun.
Also on the same day, constitutional lawyer and
human rights advocate, Chief Mike Ozekhome
(SAN), said the candidate of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, was
not qualified to contest the February 14
presidential election.
The former president explained that in spite of
being in a different political party with the
governor, his choice of Amosun was based on
merit and not that of any political party.
In a swift reaction to the support for Amosun,
the Ogun State Chapter of the party called on its
National Working Committee to sanction
Obasanjo for anti-party activities.
Obasanjo who spoke in his Abeokuta Hiltop
residence while receiving Igbo leaders from Ogun
and Lagos States declared his intention to vote
for the return of Amosun in next month general
election despite being in the PDP.
Obasanjo said: “In 2011, we were not together;
though we were together before and I
campaigned against him.
But, see what he has been able to do in the last
three and half years in the state.
I cannot sacrifice performance for party.”
Obasanjo subsequently sought the support of
the South-east indigenes residents in Ogun State
for Amosun in the February 28 governorship
election.
Obasanjo added: “I never dream of having a
bridge on dry land in Ogun State in my life time.
Yes, we have Ogun River, where there is a
bridge, but, on a dry land.
Go to Ijebu, Sagamu and Ota.
I am seeing bridges, not even one or two.
“This is a development that some of us in our
60s, 70s even 50s would have thought would be
a mirage during our life time.
Apart from this, it will bring development that
future governments shall be major beneficiaries.
“So, my people, I am not talking about other
elections.
I have come to tell you that in order to
appreciate what this personality has been able
to do in the last three and half years, let us give
him our votes.”
Obasanjo however emphasized that if the
situation changes, after the governor must have
been re-elected, he should be held responsible.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State PDP in a statement
said: “We think the appropriate organs of the
party (NWC) will have the courage to sanction
him (Obasanjo) for anti-party activities.
“We in the Ogun State PDP are not surprised at
his latest action but it really does not amount to
much.
For us, it means the beginning of APC’s failure.
What did his endorsement of Tunji Olurin
translate into in 2011 elections?
Ozekhome: Buhari is not qualified to contest…
Ozekhome, who spoke on Africa Independent
Television (AIT) Kakaaki programme, on General
Buhari’s raging certificate saga, stated that the
APC presidential candidate did not comply with
the provisions of the electoral law in filling the
nomination form he submitted to the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC)
According to him, “I know that Nigerians would
be curious about why this matter is just coming
up for the first time and that after all, this man
had contested the last three Presidential
elections.
“Well, I wish to state that I have done, by God’s
grace, a lot of election petition matters and I
know that up till 2011, INEC form simply
provides that candidates should state their
qualifications.
In other words, just say that I have O’Level; I
have B.Sc; I have BL etc; then, you go and sit
down.
“But right now, the rule has changed.
Form CF001, says apart from filling your
qualifications, you must attach them; you must
attach photocopies of your qualifications; and, to
attach means to bind; it means to glue-to.
As we are looking at your form that you have
filled, I have to see your NYSC certificate, all
your qualifications /certificates must be attached
to your form.
“So, if you do not attach them, you have not
satisfied the minimum requirements; it is
therefore not proper to refer INEC to go on a
wild goose chase, go and look elsewhere for my
qualifications.”
Ozekhome said that General Buhari’s decision to
refer INEC to the Secretary of the Military Board
for his credentials was like an applicant referring
the interviewer to the last place he or she
worked.
According to him, “It is like, as an applicant, you
want a job, you come before your interviewers;
your interviewers say, we have looked at the
form you filled for this job; we have not seen
your certificates; and you say, the last place I
worked, they have photocopy of my certificates,
go and ask them.
“That is wrong.
The military board we are talking about will also
be in possession of the document of the
respected general.
But, before he submitted the documents to the
military board, it is taken that he had possession
of his own documents; all he needs to do is to
attach the photocopy of his document to his
form; and, if there is any question to be asked,
you can refer to the places where you went to
school; mind you, not the military board.”
Ozekhome said that section 131 of the
constitution is very clear that the candidate
must have not below school certificate level, or
its equivalent, and its equivalent means GCE,
WASC, NECO, etc; those are its equivalents.
“Now, if you do not have any of these
qualifications, what you will do is to apply to
WAEC or NECO, and say my certificates are lost,
burnt or stolen by armed robbers; I will want
you to issue me a letter certifying that I have
this qualification.
“That was what happened in the case of the
Vice-President, Muhammadu Sambo, because I
have been following this case very seriously,
because it is very crucial to our democratic
norms and values.
I am interested in how we can expand the space,
deepen and widen the aptitude of democracy.”