•Says former president can’t win his polling unit
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the endorsement of the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi by former President Olusegun Obasanjo as worthless.
The Director of Media and Publicity of APC PCC, Bayo Onanuga in a statement issued Sunday said the ruling party respected the democratic right of the former President to support and endorse any candidate of his choice in any election.
He noted that except that he made it known formally in his new year message, any discerning political watcher in Nigeria knows that Obasanjo’s preference for Obi was expected.
Onanuga stressed that Obasanjo had earlier stated his position at various public events, the last being at the 70th birthday anniversary of Chief John Nwodo, former President of Ohaneze Ndigbo in Enugu.
He said: “We read with amusement the endorsement of Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his New Year message on Sunday.
“Following calls by journalists from various media houses who asked for our reaction we decided to make this preliminary statement, though we didn’t consider the so-called endorsement to be of any value.”
Onanuga stated categorically that the presidential candidate of APC, Bola Tinubu would not lose sleep over Obasanjo’s move, insisting that the former President was notorious for always opposing progressive political forces, as he did against MKO Abiola in 1993.
He added: “We make bold to say that our candidate, Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not lose sleep over Obasanjo’s move, as Obasanjo is notorious for always opposing progressive political forces, as he did against MKO Abiola in 1993.
“The endorsement is actually worthless because the former President does not possess any political goodwill or leverage anywhere in Nigeria to make anyone win a Councillorship election let alone win a Presidential election. He is a political paperweight.
“He is also not a democrat anyone should be proud to be associated with.”
Onanuga recalled that in 2003 and 2007 general election when Obasanjo was a sitting President, he used all the coercive instruments of State at his disposal to railroad people into elective offices against the will of Nigerians as expressed at the polls.
He said in 2007 Obasanjo declared the polls a do or die affair after he failed in his bid to amend the constitution to have a third term.
Onanuga stressed: “From our records, President Obasanjo has not successfully made anyone win election in Nigeria since then.
“Not even in Ogun State can anyone rely on his support or endorsement to become a governor or Councillor.
“We pity Peter Gregory Obi as we are confident that Chief Obasanjo can not win his polling unit and ward in Abeokuta for Obi in the coming Presidential election on 25 February, 2023.
“Chief Obasanjo’s endorsement is not a political currency Mr. Peter Obi can spend anywhere in Nigeria because he is not a political force, even in his part of the country.
“Chief Obasanjo similarly endorsed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party candidate in 2019 against President Muhammadu Buhari. Atiku was walloped by Buhari with a wide margin in the election.”
The ruling party said history would repeat itself in February as Tinubu would equally defeat Obi by a large margin.
Onanuga noted: “We take a particular notice of the part of the endorsement statement where Chief Obasanjo said none of the presidential candidates is a Saint.
“We want to state here that Chief Obasanjo is not a good judge of character. He is a man who considers only himself as the all-knowing Saint in Nigeria.
“Over the years, Chief Obasanjo has also convinced himself that integrity, honesty and all good virtues begin and end with him.”
