President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Saturday, said that the April general election would be a do-or-die affair for the Peoples Democratic Party.

He said the party would do its best to stop corrupt politicians from leading the nation as from May 29.

He also advised Nigerians to team up with the party to reject criminals and corrupt candidates at the poll.

Obasanjo spoke at a meeting with PDP members and stakeholders in Abeokuta North Local Government.

He said, �It is left to you to ensure that we elect credible and committed leaders. I commend those of you in the PDP for your efforts so far. You must remain committed to the party.

I will campaign. This election is a do-or-die affair for me and the PDP. This coming election is a matter of life and death for the PDP and Nigeria.

He, however, clarified that the poll would only be a do-or-die affair to prevent those who might drag the nation backward from coming to power.

He urged members of the party to ensure its victory at all levels. He also code-named the general election as �operation totality.�

The President noted that in 1979, when as a military head of state he handed over to a civilian government; Nigeria was the 48th biggest economy in the world.

He said that succeeding governments did not sustain his achievements, adding that Nigeria�s economy had descended to the 173rd position in 1999 when he was elected as a civilian president.

Obasanjo, who spoke in Yoruba and English, restated that his administration had embarked on reforms, which if sustained, would make Nigeria one of the 20 leading economies in the world in 2020.

�If we are targeting 2020 as the year Nigeria will become one of the 20 leading economies in the world, we must not pray for spoilers and criminals as our leaders (A ko fe awon baseje ati jekudu jera ni ijoba).�

The President recalled that when he was leaving office in 1979, Nigeria was self-sufficient in rice and poultry.

He lamented that the country had become importers of the products when he came back 20 years later.

Obasanjo added that he was campaigning for the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Umaru Yar�Adua, because of his intergrity.

He assured the nation that Yar�Adua would not loot the country�s treasury. He also dispelled a rumour that the presidential candidate was unhealthy.

He said, �Some people say he has one kidney. Can a person with one kidney play squash? Obasanjo asked, adding that he (Yar�Adua) fears nobody.�

Denying a claim that he would interfere in Yar�Adua�s administration, Obasanjo said, �I know myself, as soon as I hand over, I will return to my base at Ota.

�I will not interfere in the way he runs his administration. I know that it is only for a kingmaker that disrespects a king that the monarch deals with. I know my bounds as a national leader and former president.�

Speaking on his support for Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Obasanjo said no human being was perfect. He said the governor like other human beings had his weaknesses. The President, however, said the weaknesses could be corrected.

�The devil you know is better than the angel you don�t know. If Daniel is a devil, he is better than the angel we don�t know,� Obasanjo said.

However, the President�s outburst that the poll would be a do-or-die battle for the PDP attracted strident criticisms from the leaders of the opposition.

The Publicity Secretary of the Action Congress, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said the statement did not come to his party as a surprise.

�The party has been behaving in a way to show that they want to win the elections by all means. That is why they have been using extra-judicial means to do some of the things they are doing.

�It means they are going to use both constitutional and non-constitutional means to win the elections. But we believe Mr. President should not be the one leading people to use violent means to win elections.�

While noting that it is not for the President to guarantee free and fair elections, he said, �The people of Nigeria should insist on free and fair elections.�

Alhaji Balarabe Musa, however, said his party, the Peoples Redemption Party would also not take the elections lightly.

�If it is do-or-die for the President and PDP, it will also be do-or-die for us in the PRP. We have made up our minds to also work hard to win the elections. We are not going to take chances. We will not surrender to PDP.

�PDP has no alternative. They know the consequences of losing power. They are afraid of what will happen to them. It is up to Nigerians to ensure that the 2007 elections are free and fair,� Musa said.

I think Baba Obasanjo should just keep his peace... we have moved beyond the politics of assassinations' and do or die that characterised his era.... this is a new era