LAGOS — Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has, in a scathing preview of the forthcoming general elections, alleged plans by President Muhammadu Buhari to return himself to power through manipulation of state institutions including the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.


Reacting last night, The Presidency, via a live television programme, Politics Today, on Channels Television said it will not join issues with Chief Obasanjo, but asked him to explain to Nigerians whether elections under his administration were free and fair.

Buhari won’t join issues with Obasanjo —Presidency

The Presidency last night said it will not join issues with former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his allegations of increasing rate of insecurity, impunity in the system and the alleged plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to collaborate with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to rig the forthcoming elections.

The Presidency in a live television programme on Politics Today by Channels Television also asked President Obasanjo to explain to Nigerians whether elections under his administration was free and fair.

According to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina, “Let me start by saying that President Muhammadu Buhari has abiding respect for former President Olusegun Obasanjo. You know they come from a constituency in which seniority is forever.

“President Obasanjo was superior to President Buhari in the military. President Buhari served under him for three and a quarter years as oil minister. So, former President Obasanjo is a senior to President Buhari any day any time and President gives him due courtesies whenever they meet.

“So President Buhari will never be rude, that respect is abiding and enduring. Talking of the statement today, I can only say that what the former President had said is opinion of a man. There are about 196 million Nigerians. If one man says anything, it is as best his opinion, it does not mean that is the gospel.

“What the former President has said is his opinion and this is a democracy, he has a right to it.

“You also forget that in this country when former President Obasanjo was in power there were many things that constituted impunity in that government. So like they said the onlooker sees more of the game than the player.

“It is so easy for the former President to sit back in his chair reclining and criticise a government but many things that constitute impunity would have happened under his government.

“Like I said and like you have observed it is just an opinion of one man and it doesn’t constitute the gospel.”

On allegation of increasing rate of insecurity he said: “There are security challenges but I tell you that these security challenges are being tackled.

“Even under the time of Obasanjo, there had been Odi killings. Under him was when we had Zaki Biam massacre, under him there were lots OPC clashes, under him there were Sharia riots, OPC ethnic clashes, lots of lives lost. So nobody can just come and sit in judgment over another government, when worst things happen under his government.”

Also on the allegation that the ruling APC was planning to rig the forthcoming elections in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, he said, “Yes INEC can always defend itself and I am sure they would.

“But then imagine that kind of allegation coming from somebody who told us in 2007 that the election will be do-or-die and the beneficiary of that election came out to tell us that the election that brought him to power was marred in all respect.

“Now for that kind of a person to come out and tell us that the election will not be be free and fair, was there free and fair election when he conducted his own? That is the question Nigerians should be asking.”

Mixed reactions

Mixed reactions yesterday followed Obasanjo’s assertions against President Buhari.

Among those who reacted were the PAN Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and some leading lights in politics and civil society.

Buhari adopting Abacha strategy because he wants to rig poll — PANDEF

PANDEFF, the umbrella body of traditional rulers, leaders, and stakeholders of the coastal states of Niger Delta, said Presidential Buhari was resorting to the tactics of Abacha because he wants to tamper the 2019 presidential elections.

National Secretary, PANDEF, Dr. Alfred Mulade, told Vanguard on phone, last night: “The truth of the matter is that the country is more aware now that it is a question of rigging of elections, which former president and statesman, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has drawn the attention of the world to.

“PANDEF is saying that if there is any form of rigging, the people will resist it because Nigerians are tired of the present regime.

“The issue of rigging is a matter everybody should put his eyes on and ensure that it does not repeat itself like what happened in Osun State during the gubernatorial election where there ought to have been a clear winner, but the course of victory was reordered to suit the ruling party,” he said.

We have a civilian dictatorship — Afenifere

Reacting to Obasanjo’s statement, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, said Nigeria is experiencing a civilian dictatorship.

Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin said: “We are already in another Abacha regime. We have seen disobedience of court orders, the decimation of every perceived opponent, and absence of freedom of speech. We have seen the hounding of people. What we are in today is worse than Abacha, we knew what we had under Abacha. So, we have a civilian dictatorship in Nigeria.”

Food for thought — Ohanaeze.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo on its part stated that the political manoeuvrings towards the 2019 presidential election were indications that vindicated Obasanjo’s statement.

In a statement issued in Abakaliki, the National Publicity Secretary of the body, Uche Achi-Okpagha said: “Every indication testifies to Obasanjo’s vindication. President Obasanjo (as he then was) appointed a South-Easterner, GEJ appointed a northerner, but apparently, owing to his ulterior motives seemingly playing out now, he appointed a northerner as lNEC Chairman.

“The bleeding issues are the latest appointment of Amina Zakari who has been an age long close confidant of Buhari and the callous and blatant move to remove the Chief Justice of Nigeria. The majority fear and alarming opinion are to the fact that the presidency wants to remove the CJN and plant a northerner, as usual, who would play to the political gallery and instruct appointed judges to make electoral decisions favourable to the APC.

“I sincerely identify with Obasanjo in his fears and posit that a four-year-old government should be able to tell Nigerians that ‘l did this and that’ not that ‘l will do this and that.’

Meanwhile, Ohanaeze Ndigbo is expected to take a formal position on the election Thursday.

Obasanjo should act like a statesman –ACF

The Area Consultative Forum on its part has called on Obasanjo to behave like the statesman that he is by desisting from running down democratic institutions but encouraging them to perform better.


Reacting to the development, the National Secretary of the ACF, Anthony Sani said Obasanjo was driven by his partisanship.

While admitting that he had not seen the statement, the secretary noted that most Nigerians are not aware of any plan by Abacha to rig election because “Abacha never conducted elections.

“If that is what he Obasanjo said, I would submit that most Nigerians were not aware since Abacha never conducted any elections before he died.

“And given the fact that we do not know the alleged plans by the present regime to rig the elections, it would be wrong for any group to be worried. This is because any worry would amount to vote of no confidence on our democratic institutions like INEC which has assured the nation of the commission’s readiness to conduct free and fair elections by improving on the performance recorded in the previous elections in 2015.

“Even though the former president is fully partisan and may go any length to cast aspersions on the ruling party and the democratic institutions under her watch, it would be worthy of him to note that he cannot plough off his status as a statesman who is expected to help build and strengthen our democratic institutions for performance, and not to run them down without suggestions on how best to improve them” he said.

Obasanjo saying the obvious—Adebanjo

Also throwing his weight behind the former President, a leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo

Adebanjo said: “That is obvious to every reasonable person. What else is responsible for all the attacks on the opposition now? Everything to make the elections free and fair, he (Buhari) opposed it. Obasanjo is just saying the obvious.


Obasanjo’s concerns vindicate us — PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, meanwhile has said that the assertions made by President Obasanjo vindicated its position on the partisanship of the electoral commission.

The party in a statement issued by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan said Obasanjo’s submission has also reinforced its position that President Buhari, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, “having realized that there is no way he can win in a free and fair election, is now besieging all democratic institutions, including the judiciary, the legislature, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, while engaging in acts that threaten the unity, peace and corporate existence of our dear nation.

The statement read: “The whole world can see how President Buhari and APC’s desperation for power is putting the lives of over 200 million Nigerian citizens at great risk as their actions stoke violence and push our dear nation to the precipice.

“We are however not surprised that the APC, a party that has shown that it is completely anti-people, quickly rose in defence of the Buhari-led Presidency’s assault on our democratic order. The APC has always been a deceptive soulless mob that would rather have our nation burn than to be out of power.

“President Obasanjo’s concern is, therefore, a clarion call to all compatriots, irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliations to rise in defence of our democracy.”

The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in its response at a press conference Sunday evening in Abuja, addressed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said during Chief Obasanjo’s regime, government policies were determined by whatever mood he (OBJ) found himself and all decisions of government were subjected to his whims.

“When you are used to a particular thing, that means something you know how to do very well. For eight years of President Obasanjo, all the elections he held, in fact his government policies were determined by whatever mood he finds himself and all decisions of government were brought under his wings, and all that he did in those eight years are what is hunting him.

“Obasanjo cannot imagine that it is possible for a government to allow INEC statutory independence that it has. We have had 93 elections since APC came to power and we are sure that all those elections were conducted without any interference from this government. In fact, if there is anything you want to credit this government with, it is the fact that institutions are allowed to fulfill their mandate without anybody’s interference. So, we can understand where the former President is coming from, his past is haunting him.”


Other reactions

Mallam Auwal Ibrahim Rafsanjani, head of Transparency International, Nigeria and also executive director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in his response said the 2019 General Election had become a source of serious concern especially given developments in the ruling party.

He said: “Again with the fraudulent party primary conducted within the ruling party and the desperation with use of money and intimidation of opposition political parties during the ongoing campaigns clearly shows that the 2019 election is a huge concern.

“This is even as the US Congress issued a resolution expressing their concern about the 2019 election because from all indications there is a credible allegation that 2019 will be rigged in favour of the ruling party. Therefore for me what Obasanjo and well-meaning Nigerians are talking should be taken seriously by INEC and government because if this election is rigged, it will be a setback for democracy in Nigeria.”

Deputy Senate Minority leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, also concurred saying Dr. Obasanjo’s assertion should be taken seriously.

“Very weighty allegations that need to be taken seriously given the impunity demonstrated by the ruling party all over the place and not coming from an ordinary mortal, but from a former President, both military and civil rule.”

Also responding, the Deputy Minority leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha said, “ it is because the battle is between the two of them.”

"......Obasanjo’s submission has also reinforced its position that President Buhari, and...APC, “having realized that there is no way he can win in a free and fair election, is now besieging all democratic institutions, including the judiciary, the legislature, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, while engaging in acts that threaten the unity, peace and corporate existence of our dear nation.

Elukapendragon:
Lets join hand with our PVCs and send buhari into compulsory retirement pls

Humblezack:
Obasanjo is clutching at straws because he has been rendered politically useless by Buhari. It really hurts him and his friends that they can’t abuse government resources like they used to.

Viking007:
I'm not a fan of Obasanjo, but nobody can dispute the fact that he spoke the gospel truth!

eleojo23:
Bubu deserves all the attacks he is getting.

His minions taught Nigerians how to attack presidents four years ago.

DonFreshmoney:
So where are all the people comment you say reacted? OP, take your time.. u should at least summarise the comments. Lazy guy, busy giving us link to click.

Humblezack:


You don’t know what truth is. Truth is something alien to Obasanjo

Naijawebmaster:
In a matter of weeks we shall see who wins. Dust your PVC and vote from your heart, not from your head.
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MrCGPA:
OBJ is just saying the obvious truth. Look down on him at your own Peri. If think OBJ never wanted the development of the nation then why did he brings Musa Yaradua to succeed him? Next February election is going to tough. Rigging will not be too easy.