Obasanjo: I insist on my opposition to Buhari’s re-election in 2019

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By Olu AJAYI

NIGERIA: EX-President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied ever making a U-turn to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid in 2019.

Obasanjo said that there was no iota of truth in some media reports that he has changed his earlier opposition against Buhari’s second term desire.

According to him, the publications are nothing but falsehoods only aimed to hoodwink the unsuspecting Nigerians.

GatewayMail recalled that the social media was awashed on Wednesday with news that Obasanjo had supported Buhari for second term due to some superlative performance of the President over his US visit and talks with Trump at the White House in Washington DC.

It was also reported that the ex-President announced his decision to support Buhari when the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, led other executive members of the union on a visit to Obasanjo at his Abuja home.

The visit was said to be a part of activities to mark the Workers Day on Tuesday.

But on Wednesday, Obasanjo refuted the reports, saying that he would not endorse failure, apparently referring to Buhari’s administration.

He stated that those spreading the news are misinformation cartel and social media dogs who will do more damage to the flint reputation of their principal.

“It has come to the attention of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo that some elements in the Muhammadu Buhari camp and or support group are desperate to secure a second term, fair or foul,” Obasanjo said in a news release.

He stated: “In this desperation, everything is fair, including telling libelous lies against persons and institutions, instead of addressing the fundamental issues of statecraft and economic management.”

“In the last 24 hours the internet has been bombarded with deliberate falsehoods aimed at hoodwinking the unsuspecting Nigerians to believe that Obasanjo has now supported Buhari for his second term because of some perceived Buhari’s ‘superlative’ performance in his encounter with Trump during his visit to the White House in Washington D. C,” the former President said.

Obasanjo stressed: “What a pathetic fallacy!  Chief Obasanjo never met any Labour man or woman on May 1, 2018 to make any supposed volte face to support Buhari.

“Furthermore, neither was Chief Obasanjo in Abuja on that date nor does he own a house in Abuja.  Anytime he visits Abuja, he usually stays in a Guest House or hotel. For the record, Obasanjo has not and cannot endorse failure.”

The former President maintained that his position remained as stated in his last January 23 statement on the state of the nation.

Obasanjo reiterated that Nigerians know that he has only spoken the truth about widening poverty, alienation and social disunity and near disintegration of the country through the President’s incompetence.

“Obasanjo will continue to exercise his right to free speech and no amount of hate speech will assuage Nigerians who are in need of a brand new leadership,” he said, adding: “The mediocre performance of Buhari cannot be described by anybody as ‘superlative’ even by morons not the least President Obasanjo.”

According to him, from the Buhari/Trump meeting, he only saw through three points: (1) the US will continue to reduce purchase of crude oil from Nigeria and there is nothing Nigeria under Buhari can do about (2), the US will export agricultural products to Nigeria and Buhari’s government will encourage that; and (3) all the killings taking place in Nigeria by herdsmen are being done by expatriates trained by Ghadaffi and no Nigerian is to blame and Buhari cannot do anything to stop it.”

He further said: “For whatever the meeting was worth, President Buhari again bungled another opportunity to self-redeem.  No wonder President Trump ordered him in a rather condescending manner to go back home and stop the killings going on in Nigeria!  We hope now Buhari will heed Trump’s advice which hopefully will be considered non-abusive.”

Obasanjo stressed that he was more convinced in his statement of January 23 and will not change his position.

He maintained that no lies, fake news dished out by “these desperate and unintelligent supporters” was worth believing.

“Chief Obasanjo understands that the internet has good and bad uses.  Those abusing the media should desist from this barbaric act as it will only expose them to greater ridicule at the end of the day,” he stated.

“Obasanjo will continue to speak out.  He will continue to issue patriotic statements under his signature or cause them to be issued on his behalf under the signature of his media aide,” the ex-President further said.

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