Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was absent at President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration to contest the 2015 presidential election in Abuja on Tuesday.
Also absent was a former military dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. Both are members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
Babangida was among those who sought the party’s ticket in 2011, but lost to Jonathan.
Obasanjo was a former chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, who later resigned his position over some disagreements with the way he said the party was being handled.
There were speculations that the former President was against the second term ambition of the President because of the alleged agreement he (Jonathan) had with the leadership of the party, including the governors in 2011, that he would only be in office for one term.
Meanwhile, there were mixed reactions to the President’s self assessment at his declaration for the 2015 election.
Jonathan, who admitted that the Boko Haram issue had been a big challenge to his administration, listed his achievements in various sectors.
A former chairman of the Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Monday Ubani, said Nigerians could not be carried away by the list of achievements reeled out by the President.
Ubani said, “Nigerians are already used to this road; the road of leaders coming out to tell Nigerians about their achievements that are not seen. Leaders at state and local government levels during the period of elections come out to say a lot of things.
“We are used to it but we are not carried away by their claims.”
Financial analysts also expressed divergent views on the economic performance of the Jonathan administration.
Those who spoke to our correspondent on the matter were the Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice, Mr.Eze Onyekwere; the Registrar, Chartered Institute of Finance and Control of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Eohoi; and a former President of the University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association, Mr. Peter Nwabuzor.
While Onyekwere rated the performance of the economy under Jonathan low, Eohoi and Nwabuzor were of the view that the economy had witnessed massive transformation within the last three-and-a-half years.
Onyekwere said, “I will assess him as a student who want to get let my people go, which is about 40 per cent. We can afford to do more than two times as better as we are doing now in terms of uplifting the standards of living.
“He promised refineries he has not done that. We are still importing fuel and spending about a trillion naira in importing fuel and the electricity he promised is not there yet.
“To whom much is given much is expected and we have abundant resources but we are yet to fully get to utilise that resources for the benefit of Nigerians.”
But Eohoi said that when considered from all economic indicators, the Jonathan administration has performed well.
“He had done well in boosting the economy since he assumed office. Look at the work so far carried out in key sectors of the economy which had resulted in creating wealth, reducing unemployment and ensuring macro economic growth,” he said.
Eohoi, however, said there was still more work to be done in boosting power supply in order to increase the capacity of manufacturing companies.
Also in his assessment of the current administration, Nwabuzor said, “He is a president that has performed credibly well in spite of all the challenges facing the nation.
“I have to mention that Mr. President has made tremendous achievements in all sectors of the economy, and in realisation of the fact that he has positively touched all relevant sectors of the economy by making tremendous achievements.”

www.punchng.com/news/obasanjo-shuns-jonathans-second-term-declaration/

I comment in Punch

The word tremendous is an important word. It means huge. Except we as Nigerians do not understand that word.

This president has failed. He has not delivered what he promised us. The man does not deserve our votes. He is playing the ethnicity and religious card on us and pointing to white elephant projects that we cannot see or had made no considerable change to the lives of the average nigerian.

Boko Haram continues to emerge stronger than our military. Our military tactics are useless and unable to curb the terrorists.

There is nothing new that this president intends to do again. Vote for him and our complaints shall extend to 2019. More people will die in the north, who knows Boko Haram may extend to the south. Electricity will never be stable, corruption will be legalized and unemployment will increase.

Why na?

I didn't watch the event. When it was being televised I was watching Spongebob Square Pants on Nickelodeon. My reason was that more lies would be told in the event than in a cartoon, and I have a particular threshold of lies I can stomach.

How many former heads of state actually attended

Obasanjo dey busy for farm

Action they speaks louder than Voice



Baba is not in support of GEJ's Second Term Ambition





quod erat demonstrandum (QED)

Boss13:
The word tremendous is an important word. It means huge. Except we as Nigerians do not understand that word.

This president has failed. He has not delivered what he promised us. The man does not deserve our votes. He is playing the ethnicity and religious card on us and pointing to white elephant projects that we cannot see or had made no considerable change to the lives of the average nigerian.

Boko Haram continues to emerge stronger than our military. Our military tactics are useless and unable to curb the terrorists.

There is nothing new that this president intends to do again. Vote for him and our complaints shall extend to 2019. More people will die in the north, who knows Boko Haram may extend to the south. Electricity will never be stable, corruption will be legalized and unemployment will increase.

and who will solve these highlighted problems?

Buhari?

Jonathan's loss is predictable as Arsenal in the BPL.

omenka:
I didn't watch the event. When it was being televised I was watching Spongebob Square Pants on Nickelodeon. My reason was that more lies would be told in the event than in a cartoon, and I have a particular threshold of lies I can stomach.

How many former heads of state actually attended

Those heads of states are suffering from old age syndrome. They are expired and need serious rest.

jamace:
Those heads of states are suffering from old age syndrome. They are expired and need serious rest.

And your Lord of host keeps sending emissaries to them to seek their blessing for his uncanny project, no??

Now tell me, who's suffering from any kind of syndrome here??

You guys are just too dull for my liking.

Laugh wan kill me yesterday when I heard this line on TV:


"Nigeria has gone digital, Buhari has nothing to offer"

Obasanjo is a spent catalyst. His absence was not noticed at all. He can not determine the success of GEJ's re-election.

Obasanjo doesn't have that time to waste in a project that will fail at the end. Even a primary one kid knows that Jonathan will lose in 2015.

Sai BUHARI

Who cares.. Any1 surprise about it.. If OBJ want to dance with the north let him go on. Let him OBJ remember that we still live with our history as a country for 40 yrs running. We must allow all Nigerians to be a shareholder in this project called Nigeria... This country belong to all not a section. Mr president we support you for another 4years and after the south then it can go to the north..Join equate, support GEJ.

Baba don't associate with failure.

I didn't notice his absence!

Can anyone blame him? He will be ashamed of the insecurity that GEJ cowardice has helped create.

Instead of GEJ running an all inclusive government and showing sincerity of purpose to tackle boko haram, what has he done? Blame others and used delay tactics since he knows the north is the strength of the opposition and if there is unrest in the north, he will easily win.

He however forgets man purposes, GOD disposes.

Acidosis:


and who will solve these highlighted problems?

Buhari?

Help me ask. What will Buhari do different from what he did in his first coming? What will he do different from calling Nigerians useless, lazy, foolish? It's either APC is having a different agenda other than making Nigeria a better country or they are bereft of the nation's history if they are bent on presenting Buhari for election. Can a person like Buhari who truncated democracy seek presidency on a democratic platform in the United states?

nationwide1:
Help me ask. What will Buhari do different from what he did in his first coming? What will he do different from calling Nigerians useless, lazy, foolish? It's either APC is having a different agenda other than making Nigeria a better country or they are bereft of the nation's history if they are bent on presenting Buhari for election. Can a person like Buhari who truncated democracy seek presidency on a democratic platform in the United states?

Jonathan has failed woefully. What can he do differently from what we've seen him do since 2010?

Did anyone notice the absence of Obasanjo? NO

Uhm.. Na today.. OBJ no gbadun GEJ since 1701

And that will send terror to the heart of pdp members..Baba wey sabi

Baba z not predictable..........dat won't change d fact dat jona z God ordained

omenka:
And your Lord of host keeps sending emissaries to them to seek their blessing for his uncanny project, no??

Now tell me, who's suffering from any kind of syndrome here??

You guys are just too dull for my liking.

In a sane environment, that is what the elder statesmen are known for. They should be heard and not seen. That is where Buhari got it all wrong. He should be watching his groomed candidates in the arena not he jumping and shouting to be president at this time and age. The brains of Buhari supporters need to be examined. seriously.

jamace:
In a sane environment, that is what the elder statesmen are known for. They should be heard and not seen. That is where Buhari got it all wrong. He should be watching his groomed candidates in the arena not he jumping and shouting to be president at this time and age. The brains of Buhari supporters need to be examined. seriously.

k

jamace:
In a sane environment, that is what the elder statesmen are known for. They should be heard and not seen. That is where Buhari got it all wrong. He should be watching his groomed candidates in the arena not he jumping and shouting to be president at this time and age. The brains of Buhari supporters need to be examined. seriously.

@bolded, what makes u think that ur own is better than them. Learn to respect peoples opinion even if you don't agree with it. If Buhari is to be watching his candidate what then will you say about Martin Elechi , the oldest governor in Nigeria yet still aiming for Senate, don't forget that Martin Elechi is older than Buhari.

Obasanjo's presence or absence is of no value other than cosmetic appeal. This is a man who could not win his own ward for his own daughter in the last election. How many votes did Obasanjo bring in for PDP in Ogun state in 2011? GEJ is only giving him respect as an elder statesman and nothing more. He should not arrogate much importance to himself as he is no longer the PDP kingmaker that he was during the Yaradua era.

Keneking:
Jonathan's loss is predictable as Arsenal in the BPL.

Jona is no longer the toddler obj introduced some years back. He is now a man of his own. Obj is now old and not able to come down to eagle square.
Gej till 2022

Except he rigs the election, I'm not sure he would win the election.