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Abacha Almost Killed Me, Says Obasanjo by tattesco(m): 11:06am On Aug 23, 2015 |
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday, stated that
there was no alternative to democracy, as he almost lost his
life to a dictator under a military rule.
He said this on Friday at his Presidential Hilltop residence in
Abeokuta, when officials of the National Association of
Nigerian
Students and some students union leaders from various
institutions
paid him a visit.
Obasanjo and some other retired military officers and
civilians were
jailed in 1995 by the military government of the late Gen.
Sani
Abacha, after he was found guilty by a military tribunal of
allegedly
plotting to overthrow Abacha’s administration.
They were released after the dictator’s death in 1998.
Narrating his near-death experience under Abacha’s regime,
the
former President said he would support the current
democratic
dispensation led by President Muhammadu Buhari to
succeed.
He said, “I will work for the success of this current
dispensation.
There is no excuse, because there is no alternative to
democracy.
“The alternative to democracy is worse than democracy. I
experienced that. Abacha put me in prison and I was about
to be
killed. If it was under democracy (democratic rule), that
would not
happen.”
Obasanjo further said no matter what critics of President
Buhari
might be saying, Nigerians had started to witness a Nigeria
of their
dreams in the last two and half months.
He noted that the country had tottered toward the precipice
so many
times, but God had not allowed it to tumble.
Obasanjo said, “When one takes a look at everything, the
most
crucial and vital conclusion is that God loves Nigeria. The
nation has
gone towards the precipice many times and Nigeria did not
tumble,
this shows God is a Nigerian.
“Many had thought after the 2015 general elections Nigeria
will be no
more. Some had sent their families abroad. Some know the
National
Democratic Coalition route; I don’t know the NADECO route.
“I don’t have anywhere to go. But to the surprise of many of
them,
God did it in a miraculous way. The election took place,
though some
did not want it to take place. But let us thank God it took
place. We
must also thank those who conducted the elections.
“We thank God for peace even after the election. No single
individual
is a paragon of perfection. There is no Messiah except Jesus
Christ.
But there are people who still stick out their necks for the
good of
Nigerians.
“Thank God we have such as a leader now. What we have
witnessed
in the last two and a half months is that our dreams are
coming true.
We must give unalloyed support to the government.
Criticisms that
are objective and positive are welcome where necessary.”
Responding to a question on whether President Buhari took
a right
decision by giving the military a November deadline to end
Boko
Haram insurgency, the former president said it was a right
decision.
He said setting a target was part of military war strategy to
measure
the success or failure of a particular operation.
Obasanjo said, “President Muhammadu Buhari took a right
decision
by telling the military to quash the Boko Haram insurgents
by
November.
“It is not good to just leave everything open-ended. It is a
strategy in
the military to set a target for any operation. This will enable
those
concerned to work hard. Having a target is necessary. Even if
that
target was not met, the people concerned would have
something to
work with.”
Obasanjo cited the Nigerian Civil War as an example, saying
the
military had set a six-month target to crush the Biafran
renegades,
but the war extended to 30 months. |
Re: Abacha Almost Killed Me, Says Obasanjo by princeuj2015(m): 11:07am On Aug 23, 2015 |
OBJ, the Father of All god fathers in Nigerian Democratic political era since 1998 |
Re: Abacha Almost Killed Me, Says Obasanjo by SPG4U(m): 11:08am On Aug 23, 2015 |
We all knw dat |
Re: Abacha Almost Killed Me, Says Obasanjo by boboLIL(m): 11:11am On Aug 23, 2015 |
Noisemaker |
Re: Abacha Almost Killed Me, Says Obasanjo by Nobody: 11:12am On Aug 23, 2015 |
he was a dictator, you are lucky you're not dead yet... 1 Like |
Re: Abacha Almost Killed Me, Says Obasanjo by KINGSNEEZE(m): 11:12am On Aug 23, 2015 |
I wish Abacha succeeded in doing that, of what good are u to dis generation,if not to incite troubles here and there 1 Like |
Re: Abacha Almost Killed Me, Says Obasanjo by AustineE1: 11:19am On Aug 23, 2015 |
I miss Abacha! 1 Like |
Re: Abacha Almost Killed Me, Says Obasanjo by ayatt(m): 11:19am On Aug 23, 2015 |
Nigeria would have been great..but ur existence spoilt everything. 1 Like |
Re: Abacha Almost Killed Me, Says Obasanjo by Agwoden(m): 11:49am On Aug 23, 2015 |
It would've been a relief for the country. |
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