Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has set his mind on regime change “by fair or foul means” and is plotting to plunge Nigeria into crisis, presidential spokesman Reuben Abati has said.
He was reacting to statements credited to Obasanjo on Saturday that President Goodluck Jonathan was plotting to win the 2015 general election by “hook or crook”.
Obasanjo had endorsed Jonathan’s main challenger Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday, but then seemed to backtrack on Thursday.
There are insinuations that Obasanjo is not well disposed to Buhari either and would want an interim national government (ING) to be headed by him to midwife new elections in which neither Jonathan nor Buhari would be candidates.
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Obasanjo was believed to be the brain behind the ING set up by Ibrahim Babangida after the annulment of June 12 election in 1993, an arrangement that lasted for less then 100 days before the military took over.
In his statement on Saturday, Abati (pictured) said Obasanjo was plotting with others “within and outside the country” to thwart the general election and foist an unconstitutional ING “which he hopes to head”.
He said his “odious” plan to return to power through the back door “will fail woefully”.
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Abati said: “As we have had cause to say before, it is most regrettable indeed that a man like Chief Obasanjo, who should know better, chooses to repeatedly, wantonly, and maliciously impugn the integrity of a sitting President of his country for the primary purpose of self-promotion.
“It is obvious from Chief Obasanjo’s serial vituperations against President Jonathan who is doing his best to positively transform Nigeria for the benefit of all of its people that he has willfully chosen to close his eyes to the present administration’s good works and intentions. For reasons best known to him, Chief Obasanjo has set his mind on regime change by fair or foul means.
“Otherwise, it would be completely senseless, irrational and out of place for Chief Obasanjo, who still claims to belong to the same party as the President, to accuse President Jonathan of plotting to win the rescheduled presidential elections by ‘hook or crook’ and planning to plunge the nation into crisis if he loses the election.”
He said Jonathan had no such intention and will continue to give the greatest possible support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant federal agencies to ensure that the rescheduled elections are successfully conducted.
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“Indeed, it is not President Jonathan who remains faithful to his oath of office who is trying to plunge Nigeria into crisis, but Chief Obasanjo who is scheming to plunge the country into chaos in pursuit of a selfish and highly egocentric agenda.
“Chief Obasanjo’s plot with others within and outside the country to thwart the general elections and foist an unconstitutional Interim National Government, which he hopes to head on the nation is well known to us, but by the Grace of God Almighty, his odious plan to return to power through the back door will fail woefully.
“We know very well that it is in pursuit of this nefarious plot that the former President continues to sow the seeds of discord and crises in the polity by purporting to remain in the ruling party while openly consorting with the opposition, endorsing its candidates and predicting victory for opposition candidates in a manner most unbecoming of a supposed elder statesman.
“Thankfully, the vast majority of Nigerians who are patriotic and right-thinking cannot be fooled by Chief Obasanjo’s antics,” he said.
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Abati assured Nigerians that Jonathan’s commitment to democracy in all its ramifications “remains constant and that he will never be party to the use of any unlawful means to remain in office or gain political advantage over his opponents.
“The President stands by his commitment, which he reaffirmed on national television last Wednesday that on his watch, all elections in Nigeria, will be free, fair and credible, and that all certified election results will be respected.”
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He maintained that “as President Jonathan has also assured the nation, the rescheduling of the general elections was in the best interest of the nation and was never driven by any ulterior motive on the part of government as Chief Obasanjo and others have alleged”.
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29 comments
Tell the Birds
Reuben, you still dey there? you can tell that story to the marines It just does not make sense
Abati is only talking base on his pay master. He can never compare his self with the Great man of our land nigeria, Aremu is a great man OBJ
Great man indeed. Rubbish!
OBJ is Nigeria worst mistake
Agreed. He is bad news
And Jonathan is what to Nigeria? Abati is just playing the ostrich and it is so sad.
Jonathan is on his way to perdition. It is not about Obasanjo but about Jonathan’s plans to thwart our collective will and choice at this time.
IBB, Abacha and Obasanjo (third term) couldn’t pull it through and I don’t see a Jonathan having his odious and dubious way this time around.
Nigerians are tired of his corruptions and misrule and he will be wise to leave and ASAP.
If he choses to plunge the country into chaos, that’s his headache and he will live only to regret that. History is so robust and cool about this.
No he’s not. He was God’s last card, which he played to ensure Nigeria didn’t go back to military rule. He was a man who knew how to take decisive steps. This is a man who had fought wars, led the army, rose through the rank and file of the military and become this nation’s president twice even doing so from jail. And you dare to compare him to Jonathan, who all his life has been driven by other peoples passion and not by any vision of his. When God has to bring a man out of prison to rule his country twice, then God has some measure of trust in that man. God told him to build the ecumenical centre in abuja which previous presidents refused to, and he heeded. And you are comparing him to a drunken Ijaw man.
Wen will obj be tired of mischief and take a deserved rest. Must he pull Jonathan down just to satisfy negative ego. If he loves NAIJA as he has claimed, he wld not have mounted the spirited efforts including misuse of our funds to achieve 3rd term. Let him stop playing God, coz God is a HUMBLER
OBJ WILL SOON LOOSE RESPECT.
Elders don’t behave like this!
Abba! What has GEJ done to him
Wow
What a pity! Obasanjo is losing relevance everyday. For a man who hasn’t reverenced the founding fathers of Nigeria not even the great Awo, he expects the younger generation to revere him!. His latter days will be funny because he seems not to fear God who bestowed him with all blessings.
OBASANJO IS UNGREATFUL TO GOD AND ENTIRE CREATION
HIS PLAN WILL NOT WORK,CREATING FRACAS IN ORDER TO HEAD ING,GOD FORBID
While ur brother Jonathan is d most corrupt president in d world
OBJ is evil.How many past head of states of other countries criticize the sitting head of state like he Obj does.When he was in govt can he be so criticised.He was never torlerant. See what he did to his Vice president Atiku and what he continue to say about him.See what he did to Lagos under Tinubus watch.The man is just evil period.His children even criticise him.We should just ignore him.Old age problem may be.I do not know why the press still give him relevance.Too too bad
It is now clear that Chief Obasanjo has not learnt anything from his ‘crokere moves’ during the June 12 1993 fiasco. Even Gen.Babangida that annulled that popular election will be accorded better place in Nigeria history than the treachery called Obasanjo.
This was a man who his brother and kinsman Chief Abiola won an election clean and clear on June 12 1993. To the amazement and disappointment of vast majority of Nigerians, the election result was annulled by Gen.Babangida. Nigerians and the world were repulsed by the annulment. Obasanjo went all over the world appearing on foreign TVs saying that, Abiola does not deserve to be Nigerian President. He supported the interim government foisted on Nigeria by Gen. Babangida which lasted for less than 100 days. That interim Government promoted and supported by Obasanjo eventually threw up Gen. Abacha who easily overthrew the Interim Head of Government – Ernest Shonekan.
Obasanjo who is fond of critizing seating presidents; who ridiculed Gen.Babangida in the pages of Nigerian Newspapers on routine basis had his match in Gen.Abacha. Abacha would not brook Obasanjo’s nonsense interference and had him jailed for life. The rest is now history. Little did Obasanjo know that the Interim Government he sort and supported will eventually swallow him. Here he goes again.
It was George Santayanna who said,””Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Baba has once again towed d wrong path.just wen I tot d wound of his fracas with his daughter wz healing,he again,rubbished himself.if u ask me, he doesn’t want GEJ governing this country,longer dan he(obj) did. Selfishness @ its peak!
Chief Obasanjo is not the only past head of state or president, was his government any better? What is he trying to achieve by his trademark destructive criticisms? He should learn from General Gowon, who chose to lead a praying group for Nigeria called “Nigeria Prays”. Is he better than Shagari, Abdulsalam, Shonekan, can’t he stay quiet for once. He had opportunities to set Nigeria on the path of prosperity but achieve far less with much that was given to him. Let him allow Nigerians judge the president come March 28. 2015. He should know that the music has changed and as such his dancing step should change. What did he do for his state and community? Why did he constantly loose election time after time in Ogun state? A man who cannot rule well his family should not try to be the father of the nation. He should let Nigeria be. We are not there yet but we are on our way…
The more OBJ criticises GEJ, the more he wins the President converts. Many people now know that OBJ is not criticising the President because of his (OBJ’s) love for Nigeria. The question OBJ would know the answer is: What are the real issues behind his (OBJ’s) seemingly desperate efforts?
If Jonathan fails, OBJ automatically fails
He clearly endorsed Yaradua and Jonathan before leaving office
He had the opportunity to pick more resourceful and intelligent candidates to lead Nigeria
He is only frustrated because his plans failed totally without notice
In fact Jonathan is the interim president and peace we are enjoying in Nigeria now
Let him be
Obj should let GEJ be. That GEJ will not accept to be teleguided is not a crime. That obj keeps challenging and abusing our president should be enough warning to obj that whatever befalls him now he will have himself to blame. An old man should respect his age and his experience. He dare not do this under an abatcha leadership he would have been back to prison long time ago.
Obj does not want any other person to beat his record,
Even his children advised not to take him serious.
He is not the only past president of Nigeria and such should let Nigeria be. He was there and had the opportunity to transform Nigeria as he wishes if he was willing and able. To be constituting nuisance and disunity because Goodluck refusing to play the role of a houseboy for him selfish interest is not good enough.
The same Person who ruled Nigeria as Military and 8 years as civilian President and achieved less is now blaming GEJ who has completed just one term, we are very funny
If a person who builds starts destroying his house, it means he is insane and not be taken seriously.
No man is greater than Nigeria
I was very much in Love with OBJ, but OBJ the i am seeing now tingles me. He is an evil, he was every thing to be bad as he wants it. GMB has be careful because he will claim he made him win, if he wins. OBJ has been noted he presenting people he knew that would survive the test of time. Nigerians be won and be careful, Lets vote wisely. If it is how to be godfather I forbid him. god punish the devil.
Reuben’s rubbish. Abati’s nonsense. How can OBJ be planning for an ING? Is it possible? Is he the one that postponed the elections? What has OBJ got to do with the polls shift? If GEJ hadn’t postponed the election, wouldn’t we have had the elections yesterday? Wouldn’t the results have been out by now? So where and how would OBJ have been planning an ING in the face of a newly-elected president?
GEJ has always surrounded himself with unintelligent people. How can the spokesperson for the presidency be making such lame remarks? And I see people here even believing such unfounded allegations. How can u even believe that OBJ wants to create an ING? Would be jump GEJ to do that? Does it make sense? How would he pull it off? Or are you just building castles in the air in your arguments? Are u people reading between the lines at all?
Truth is, only the incumbent can pull of such a stunt. He alone can institute an ING as IBB did in incumbency. And infact that is what GEJ is being touted as planning to do – setting up an ING since he’s not sure of winning this elections.
Please my fellow Nigerians don’t be too gullible. Question and critically analyse everything you hear before u jump to conclusions.
This story is just typical of PDP; another of their poor specimen campaign gimmicks – always whipping up dust, playing the hate game, and always looking for who to apportion blame and paint black for misdeeds that the
y themselves orchestrated. And you are listening to them.
Mscheww
OBJ should allow GEJ to carry on with his transformation agenda without distraction, when he came of prison in 1998,he has less than 30,000 naira in his account, but today OBJ is super-rich, to mention but few: private university, multi-billions naira library,largest farm in Africa and other investment unknown to Nigerians.
Obj dose not talk like a former president. People don’t just open mouth and words starts coming out without thinking. Jonathan has performed and he deserves to continue with his good works.
It is quite unfortunate that a man who ruled for years can always rise up openly to rain abuses on his successor.
It is only the unreasonable unpatriotic Nigerian of like-minds will support and hail obasanjo. Obj has made himself a shameful stain on the Nigerian flag. I had never seen such an ungrateful man that God picked from prison to aso rock that still lives to abuse the president of his country. Obj supporterS should sit down and hear the voice of their conscience if they have any or if their consciences are still alive.
This is not politics, so don’t think I am campaigning. I am not a friend of any party but obj is selfish just as his own daughter said.
If you think obj loves you, then it’s as good as thinking you can win the love of a python. Obj wants to make another evil histry at the expense of your blood. The only para-civilian president that faught for 3rd term.
It is a shame.
The worst of Goodluck is far better than the best of obj, tinibu, amaechi and buhari put together. This is not politics, it is the voice of conscience!!!!!!
OBASANJO IS A BLACK STAIN ON THE NIGERIAN FLAG.
Only the selfish ones can applaud him.
We say we want democracy and someone is undermining and abusing the office of a sitting President and some of you are calling him an elder statesman. It will hunt and hurt our democracy tomorrow. Stop supporting evil in the name of politics.
Nice answer back in return of this matter with solid arguments and explaining everything about that.