Protesting Daniel supporters are fools, says Obasanjo

By Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji

March 7, 2011 03:24AM

Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, at the weekend, described leaders of the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party {PDP} in the state loyal to the state governor, Gbenga Daniel, as a foolish set of people for protesting his leadership of the party.

The faction had organised several placard carrying protests around Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to tongue-lash and rain curses on Mr. Obasanjo over his opposition to the Daniel camp.

But their protest was, last Thursday, put to a temporary end following a federal court judgment affirming the candidacy of Tunji Olurin as the party's governorship candidate. Mr. Olurin and a host of party candidates submitted by the Obasanjo group were accepted as the party's candidates for the April polls.

Factions loyal to Messrs Obasanjo and Daniel have been engaged in a fierce battle for supremacy in the state, until Mr. Obasanjo's supporters appeared to have triumphed over their opponents.

Responding to questions from reporters on why he {Obasanjo} had never responded to the verbal attacks on him, through media and placard carrying protests across the state by the Daniel faction, the former president said it is only a fool who will respond to another fool.

Mr. Obasanjo, who went Biblical, said:

"I keep quiet because when you say something about me or against me, I check who said it and what was his motive.

"When the motive is unwholesome, I keep quiet because the Bible in Proverbs 26 verse 4 says don't answer a fool, otherwise, you may be taken for a fool yourself. So the next verse - Prov. 26:5 - says do not answer back a fool, otherwise he may think that he is a wise man.

"Now, the question is, at what point do you know when to answer back a fool and when to keep quiet and let the fool continue to fool himself. So when people are fooling themselves, I just keep quiet and when there is an occasion that I believe that I should answer them back, I answer them back," he said.

Mr. Obasanjo, who celebrated his 74th birthday in Abeokuta with a number of local and international dignitaries in attendance, jokingly told journalists in his usual comical manner, "Let me continue to dey laugh, let them continue fooling."

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