For asking President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to take the “path of honour,” the North yesterday began what seems like the beginning of the final push to shove former president Olusegun Obasanjo aside from the ruling party.

Although the plans to relieve Obasanjo of his position as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, BoT, chairman began shortly after Yar’Adua was sworn in as President, President Yar’Adua was able to stop the move, and only succeeded in ensuring that Obasanjo had a fixed tenure of office.

But this latest move is being spearheaded by another member of the party’s BoT, and Chairman, Yar’Adua/Jonathan 36 states and FCT 2007 Campaign Coordinators, Senator Walid Jibrin.


Already, he said plans have been concluded for him to move a motion for the dissolution of the BoT, so as to give way for a fresh election, even as he insisted that for making such a “reckless” statement about President Yar’Adua, Obasanjo does not deserve to remain the chairman of the BoT for a day longer from the day he made the comment.

In a statement in Kaduna, a copy of which was made available to Daily Sun omn on Tuesday , Senator Walid Jibrin said “Obasanjo does not at all deserve to continue as chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) after his shameful and deceitful remarks on President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.


“Instead of Obasanjo following the path of honour and morality, he went astray, recommending for the resignation of Umaru Yar’Adua by shamelessly opening his mouth wide in the market, a behaviour which may be equated to that of Area Boys.

“Choosing to talk at this crucial time and at the heat of the polity, especially when naked demonstrations against Yar’Adua are going on, he (Obasanjo) is therefore encouraging and giving support to the demonstrators, thus adding more fuel into the fire.


“Any responsible person will not behave the way Obasanjo did. His call on Umaru to take the course of morality by honourably resigning, that kind of statement qualifies Obasanjo’s immoral behaviour as a person who does not respect human dignity.

“Going by the last PDP convention, Obasanjo is illegally occupying the position of Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) when a new election should have been held in conformity with the decision of the convention. As a member of the PDP BoT, I will soon move a motion for the dissolution of the BoT to give room for fresh election so that a more responsible person is elected.


“As a former President of Nigeria and as chairman of the highest advisory body of PDP, Obasanjo has many avenues to address this issue of ill-health of Mr. President, such as the BoT, National Working Committee, PDP NEC, and the National Council of State which he is a member. If Obasanjo had brought this matter to the Board of Trustees meeting and decided to talk the way he did, we would have certainly carpeted him down.

“In an attempt to get cheap popularity he distorted history by trying to involve Ahmadu Ali, and to include him as a sick person who also collapsed during the Presidential electioneering, a statement which Ahmadu Ali has rightly corrected.


“As a person close to Ahmadu Ali, I want to testify that Ahmadu Ali was strong, very healthy throughout the campaigns and never at anytime collapsed.

“Where is Obasanjo’s path of honour and morality when he struggled for the third term and woefully failed?

“Where is the path of honour and morality when he went globe trotting making him the most widely traveled president in the world, disallowing his Vice to act? Where is the path of honour and morality when he frustrated former vice president Atiku Abubakar and left him without any function? Where was the path of honour and morality when he took over the powers of the PDP, NWC and even NEC of the party?

“Where is the path of honour and morality when he was seriously involved in PDP state primaries by removing and placing his own candidates at will, in a manner that disorganized our party during his presidency? Where is the path of honour and morality when he maneuvered to be the BoT chairman by enforcing a change in our party’s constitution?

“At this crucial moment of our history what we should concentrate on is special prayers for Yar’Adua and then try to have a critical look at our constitution in order to correct the grey areas and allow the National Assembly to perform its functions which I am sure they are capable of handling as against the crude and barbaric approach of the former President,” the Sarki Fulani of Nasarawa State, said.