While speaking during a birthday ceremony of ex-presideng Olusegun Obasanjo, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. John Odigie –Oyegun, on Thursday disclosed that the party was on the verge of issuing former president Olusegun Obasanjo with the party membership card when he torn his Peoples Democratic Party card, but had a second thought on the matter.

Oyegun said by tearing his PDP membership card, Obasanjo has qualified fully “as the “true father of the nation that anybody can now run to for guidance.”

The APC chairman said issuing the former president with the party’s membership card, would be “demeaning to a man who should now be seen as true nationalist, statesman and non partisan icon.”

Oyegun spoke while making a short remark during the ex-president’s 78th birthday celebration at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State. He noted that Obasanjo has done great service to Nigerian politics by tearing his PDP cards, making him the “only symbol of this country everybody can run to whenever the need arises.”

Oyegun said, “When we watch someone tearing a card of the umbrella party on his behalf, the APC leaders authorized me to issue him a fresh membership card of our party, but we decided to look at the matter closely.

“We reasoned that this nationalist and statesman has crossed the threshold. He has become truly the father of the nation and it would be demeaning by going to present APC card to him.

“Nigeria and Nigerians have an icon now, a non partisan man has arrived, somebody we can all go to and if you do well he tells you and if you have not done well, he can look at you in the eyes and say you can go to hell.

“Baba Obasanjo, you are the only symbol of this country everybody can now run to meet. We know where you are and we know your views too.

“You have done great service to APC, you have done great service to the politics of this nation. We know you desire change, rather than continuity of nothingness.”