Obasanjo: I have no party

Ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo says he is willing to welcome politicians from different parties now that he is ‘party-less’.

Speaking on Monday when he played host to Idris Wada, governor of kogi state, at his hilltop mansion in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun state, Obasanjo said individuals make a party and not the other way round.

Obasanjo left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on an acrimonious note in February, directing the chairman of PDP in his ward to tear his membership card “into shreds”.

He had declared back then that he remained a “statesman internally and externally”.

He reiterated this stance to his visitor, who is seeking re-election in Kogi later in the year.

“We should understand first that, not the party makes the person, but the person makes the party,” he said.

“It is whom you are that you bring into the party. Though for now I remain a party-less Nigerian, I will continue to welcome any Nigerian with good leadership qualities.

“It does not matter which party you are in, either PDP, APC, Labour, APGA – any party at all – as long as you are a committed, sincere and a purposeful leader, I am ready for you.

“And that is what our brother is doing. I pray that this country will never be short of this type of people. Everybody is welcome. But they must be with good leadership traits, with genuine intention to improve the country.”

Wada described Obasanjo as a father of the nation, who remains dedicated and committed to the growth of the country.

He said he was in Abeokuta to inform Obasanjo that an organisation conferred the best governor award to him.

“Everywhere we met Baba, we learnt a lot from him and we shall continue to learn from him. He is a father of the nation, a figure we admire – a committed Nigerian, who has devoted himself to the growth of the country,” he said.

“Since I was honoured as the best governor yesterday, in Lagos, I feel  I should report to our father on the recognition we are getting.”