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By Mufta’u Balogun
A former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has once again said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, Atiku Abubakar, was far better than President Muhammadu Buhari.
Obasanjo said that he critically compared Buhari and Atiku’s competence before settling for the former vice president in the last election.
Obasanjo spoke when South-West PDP leaders led by the party’s National Vice Chairman (South West), Dr Eddy Olafeso, visited him at his Pent-House residence inside Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
He criticized what he called failure of leadership on the part of President Buhari, saying Nigeria cannot move forward “if we continue the way we are.”
“I said if you compare the two of them (Atiku and Buhari); with what I know and all I have written about the incumbent (President) which they have decided to cover up, Atiku is better than the incumbent by far. That’s the point I am making. And nobody is perfect.
“I am not a perfect person. I have my shortcomings. If I deny my shortcomings, it means I am not being truthful to myself. But, my shortcomings can’t take away my love for Nigeria,” Obasanjo said.
He also asked the PDP to purge itself of “bad eggs and hypocrites”, who according to him, lack the commitment and goodwill to return the opposition party to its lost glory.
Among those at the meeting were; Senate Minority Leader, Biodun Olujimi; Senators-elect, Oyo South, Kola Balogun; Ondo Central, Ayo Akinyelure, Rep-elect (Ibarapa North and Central), Hon Ajibola Muraina; former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former Minister for State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada; and PDP gubernatorial candidate in Ekiti State 2018 election, Prof Olusola Eleka,
Also at the meeting were former Deputy Governor of Lagos, Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, former Deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedoku, PDP Governorship candidate in 2017 Ondo State governorship election, Eyitayo Jegede SAN among others.
According to him, Nigeria needs a vibrant voice and opposition in PDP with a view to building a strong democracy.
The former President argued that many leaders of the party are after “their pockets and stomach.”
He wondered why some key players left the party while others had lost hope shortly after the results of 2019 presidential election were announced.
Obasanjo said: “I knew PDP would lose election in 2015 because it was clear. And I knew PDP will need to be rebuilt after losing the election.
“You need what I call critical mass of committed people, and come rain, come shine they are committed. With that, you can make Nigeria better.
“You see people’s faces beautiful, but you don’t know what each person harbors inside of him.
“If you discover a bad egg, remove such a person. And if such person has learnt his or her lessons, there can still be room to accommodate the person.”
Earlier in his address, Olafeso explained that the visit was to celebrate Obasanjo on his 82nd birthday which he marked recently and equally thank him for his support for the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 elections.
“We could not have done well in the last elections in the Southwest without your support. Your voice resonates above all the lies told in the country and you told the world what is actually happening in your country.
“You decided that you are going to stand up and fight. There is nothing we can say here that would compensate for the role you have played.
“You supported our presidential candidate and I know for sure that he won that election, even if the powers-that-be decided to write results for themselves; and I know that God will take the mandate back to our party,” he said.
