APC Reply Obasanjo Special Press Statement

The Buhari administration has issued its first formal response to a blistering attack by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who said the president has failed, and should not to seek re-election in 2019.

In a 13-page public statement Tuesday, Mr. Obasanjo issued a scathing rebuke of Mr. Buhari and his government, accusing him of being incompetent, sectional and sloppy.

The presidency refused to respond to the letter on Tuesday, with a presidential aide managing to dismiss the statement on Wednesday as an “insult”.

SSS secures warrant of arrest for El-Rufai as APC, Fani-Kayode condemn harassment of former minister

The State Security Service, SSS, has finally secured a warrant of arrest for the Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Nasir El-Rufai, and has now launched a manhunt for him, the spokesperson for the agency has said.

This is even as armed operatives of the Service again stormed a second house in Abuja believed to belong to the former minister in their desperate bid to arrest him. They had earlier in the afternoon invaded his first house in the Maitama District of the nation’s capital, but could not find him as he had reportedly gone to pick his children from school. 

JONATHAN ANNOUNCE BAMANGA TUKUR RESIGNATION

By Saharareporters, New York

President Goodluck Jonathan finally presented the resignation letter of embattled party chieftain, Bamanga Tukur, to the 63rd meeting of the National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the party's secretariat in Abuja today.
The president took the unusual step of reading Mr. Tukur's resignation letter to members after pulling it out of an envelope.
He praised Tukur, who was also present at the meeting, and said that he had not committed any crime to warrant his forced resignation promising to give him a bigger assignment.
Saharareporters sources stated that the President hopes to make Mr. Tukur Nigeria’s ambassador to China in coming days.
Saharareporters had revealed last night that Mr. Tukur's resignation will be made public today at the NEC meeting after he was barred from a crucial caucus meeting at the Aso Rock Villa yesterday.

A new chairman of the party will emerge next week Monday according to President Jonathan.

Senator Abe Flown to London

Senator Magnus Abe, who was allegedly
shot twice in the chest with a rubber
bullet by the Police at a rally,  Sunday, in
Port Harcourt, Rivers State has been
flown  to London.
Vanguard gathered the Senator had
already received  first aid treatment in two
hospitals in Port Harcourt.
Hospitalised Abe can’t talk – Aide
Meantime, Media aide to Senator Abe, Mr
Honour Sirawoo, told the Vanguard that
Senator Abe who represents, Rivers South
East Senatorial district, was first admitted
at a hospital in D line area of Port
Harcourt but was later transferred to
another hospital with better equipment to
handle his situation after series of tests.
Sirawoo told the Vanguard that he was
not with the Senator when he was shot
but that he rushed to the hospital to see
the Senator who was on drip and could
not talk.
Senator treated for traumatic shock –
Doctor
Dr Mackay Anyanwu who administered
first aide to Senator Abe at Krisany
Medical services, in D line where he was
first rushed to, told newsmen that the
Senator was treated for traumatic shock .
He said: “The patient was brought in a
state of a shock, as evidenced by low
blood pressure. He was restless and he
couldn’t communicate or reason
coherently. As a first aid, we treated him
for traumatic shock because the
implication of his state was that there was
severe blood trauma and the amount of
layers affected could not be detected
immediately. This can only be done
through haemorrhoid tests’’

Jonathan Tells Decamped Politician Safe Trip

Jonathan to decampees: Please decamp
well
*Says his ambition is not worth the blood
of any Nigerian

President Goodluck Jonathan has advised
those interested in defecting to other
political parties to ahead, wishing safe
trip to their new political abode as he
asked them to decamp well.
The President also urged elderly
politicians in the country to promote
peace and unity through their utterances.
He gave the advice on Sunday while
speaking at the Armed Forces
Remembrance Day Service at the National
Christian Centre, Abuja.
Although he did not mention the name of
the elderly politicians,he said that senior
citizens in the age bracket of 70 or 80yrs
who have seen it all and ought to know
that the unity of Nigeria is more important
than any individual interest have
encouraged youth to hate and carry arms
to kill others.
Stressing that his ambition doesn’t worth
bloodshed of any Nigerian, the President
also advised those decamping to decamp
well or those camping to camp well.
He said: “We are also to emulate them.
Those who have paid supreme sacrifice to
keep out nation together, those of us who
are alive especially leaders today should
think of what we can do to honour them is
to know that whatever we say, whatever
song we sing, it should be a song that will
bring honour to them and peace to this
country.”
“Sometimes I get worried when I listen to
provocative statements that come from
very senior citizens. People that ordinarily
you perceive are very senior citizens.
People who are probably 70 or 80 years
who have seen it all who ordinarily
should know the unity of this country is
more important than the interest any
individual.
Sometimes they preach hate and even
encourage young people to carry arms
and kill themselves.”
Speaking on his ambition, he said: “I have
always said it that any ambition I have at
any time is not worth the blood of any
Nigerian. I will never ever expect a
Nigerian to spill a drop of his blood
because Goodluck Jonathan must fulfil
his ambition.”
“I pray that all politicians should know
that there will be no nation if we kill
ourselves, just like the Archbishop said if
you want people to come out and vote
why do you threaten them. If you threaten
them people will stay in their houses and
how do you intend to win election? Is it by
manipulating the figures and declare
yourself a winner?” He queried
Jonathan continued: “So in an occasion
when we are remembering those people
that have kept this country one for us to
be celebrating our centenary we should
admonish ourselves the key actors today,
we should preach peace, we should
preach unity.”
“If all of us collectively talk about the
unity and peace of this country then of
course all our economic, security
problems will be resolved and the country
will move in the direction we want it to.”
“For the guest speaker we thank God for
your message, the admonition when he
was talking about those who want to
camp should camp well and those who
want to decamp should decamp well.”
“Pray for us to always remember our
fathers because we are in a political
environment and politicians always have
ambitions, we really appreciate your
prayers.” He said
He thanked the churches for their prayers
noting that the challenges facing the
country within the global trend could have
been worse than what it is today.
“Nigeria would have been two or more
nations by now. But they worked for it,
some died in the process, some died
serving the world outside . These are the
people we are remembering today.” He
stated
The President had earlier read the second
Bible reading from Ephesians Chapter 6,
verses 10 to 19a.
Delivering his sermon before the President
spoke, the Archbishop of Methodist
Church of Nigeria, Abuja, Archbishop Job
Oche advised politicians ahead of the
2015 elections to stop threatening
Nigerians with their utterances as they
will not come out to vote if they feel
threatened.
He said: “May I advise all politicians here
to give us peace of mind. People have
started to fear how 2015 will look like. If
you need our votes, don’t threaten us.
Begin to preach peace that will make us to
come out and vote.”
“Leave 2015 alone, God knows what to do
with 2015. Leave the problems of
tomorrow for tomorrow. Stop destroying
one another because of ambition.
According to him, the church has little to
say on the camping and decamping by
politicians stressing that ministers are
also involved in decamping as some of
them leave their churches after few
months to set up their churches.
He said: “On camping and decamping,
the church has no answer to that because
the church is also involved in camping
and decamping. If after three or six
months, a minister builds his own church,
is that not decamping?”
Noting that all rebellion can not stand the
test of time, he said: “whether you camp
or decamp, the Most High God will speak.
Ambition knows no father.”
Taking the congregation through Hebrews
chapter 11 from verse 13, 2nd Timothy 4:
7, he urged Nigerians to do everything
possible to keep Nigeria one so that the
labour of past heroes will not be in vain.
To keep Nigeria one, he urged them to
contribute their quota instead of
criticising the leaders.
Calling on Nigerians to see the ongoing
developments in the power sector,
transportation, reducing unemployment
rate and fight against corruption, he
urged politicians to stop recruiting thugs
and hired assassins in order to create a
special place for themselves in politics.
Also urging Nigerians to rebuke those
who are power drunk, he pleaded with
politicians to stop utterances that are
capable of weakening the leaders, just as
he advised Nigerians to perpetually love
one another instead of hatred for other
tribes or religion.
He prayed that the peace of God will
continue to prevail in Nigeria as the 2015
elections approaches.
Some men of God at the service were also
given opportunity to pray for wisdom and
protection of the President and his family
and the nation.

Jonathan Phones Obasanjo, Begs To Reconsider Decision

President Goodluck Jonathan has
telephoned former President Olusegun
Obasanjo to deny responsibility for
promoting a controversial member of
his
Peoples Democratic Party, Buruji
Kashamu, as an influential party
leader in
the south-west geo-political zone, a
development that has infuriated Mr.
Obasanjo, sources close to the former
president said Saturday.
Mr. Obasanjo was travelling in Addis
Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, at the
time
of the conversation with Mr. Jonathan,
those familiar with the matter said.
Usually reliable presidency sources
said
Mr. Jonathan hurriedly called Mr.
Obasanjo on Thursday shortly after he
received the former president’s latest
letter informing him and the PDP
National
Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, that he
was
suspending participation in party
activities for as long as the ruling
party
continued to treat Mr. Kashamu,
believed
to be a fugitive, with reverence.
Our sources said during the telephone
exchanges, Mr. Jonathan appealed to
Mr.
Obasanjo to reconsider his decision to
suspend himself from the party, saying
he
would personally prevail on Mr. Tukur
to
stop fraternizing with Mr. Kashamu
and
imposing him on the South-West PDP
as
a rallying point.
The president, according to our
sources,
told Mr. Obasanjo that he had never
met
Mr. Kashamu and had never instructed
anyone to accord the controversial
Ogun
politician a special or preferential
treatment in the party.
“Baba, believe me, I don’t know
Kashamu,” our sources quoted Mr.
Jonathan as saying. “I think it is the
chairman (Tukur) that knows him.
Personally, I have nothing with him.
But I
will ask chairman.
“Kindly consider your decision again.
The
PDP belongs to us all and we need to
correct whatever is wrong together.”
The president then promised to “hear
from” Mr Tukur, and to “do
something”
about the matter, those informed
about
the discussion said.
In his response, Mr. Obasanjo is said
to
have explained to the president his
frustration at explaining to world
leaders
how an alleged criminal, wanted by
the
United States authorities, ended up as
a
leader of Nigeria’s ruling party.
He reportedly told the president that
his
assurance of action might amount to
nothing as he believed not much could
be
done as of now.
The Special Adviser to the President on
Media, Reuben Abati could not be
reached
to comment for this story. Several
telephone calls to him failed to
connect.
But three separate presidential aides,
who
do no want to be named for fear they
might be sanctioned, however
confirmed
details of the conversation between Mr.
Jonathan and Mr. Obasanjo.
Contacted, Mr. Obasanjo’s
spokesperson,
Tunde Oladunjoye, said he had no
permission from his boss to confirm
details of his conversation with
anyone.
An aide of the former president
however
confirmed the exchanges.
Ex-President Obasanjo’s letter to PDP
Chairman Bamanga Tukur
Mr. Obasanjo had in a January 7 letter
to
Mr. Tukur announced that he was
withdrawing from the activities of the
PDP
for as long as Mr. Kashamu, whom he
accuses of being a “wanted habitual
criminal”, remains a leader of the
party in
the south west, the former president’s
geopolitical zone.
In a letter to Mr. Tukur on Tuesday, Mr.
Obasanjo said he would remain a
“card-
carrying member” of the governing
party,
but will no longer participate in the
party’s functions at all levels.
“Politics played by any national
political
party must have morality, decency,
discipline, principles and leadership
examples as cardinal practices of the
party,” the former president’s letter,
published on Saturday, read. “I have
attached here recent documents that
clearly indicates that you extolled PDP
zonal leader in the South West of
Nigeria
and an indigene of Ogun State, who is,
to
say the least, not a credit to the party
as
a member let alone being a zonal
leader.”
Mr. Obasanjo, a native of Ogun State,
as
Mr. Kashamu, said while he believed
that
a truly national political party should,
as
a microcosm of a nation, bear all
forms
of characters as members, he however
found no justification in extolling a
“known criminal” wanted abroad on
drug-related charges.
“Since I stick in my practice of party
politics to the hallowed and cherished
principles enunciated above, I take this
opportunity to let you know that while I
continue to remain a card-carrying
member of PDP, I cannot and I will not
subscribe to a wanted habitual
criminal
being installed as my zonal leader in
the
party; a criminal for whom extradition
has been requested by the US
government,” Mr. Obasanjo said.
Mr. Kashamu dismissed Mr.
Obasanjo’s
letter as a “cocktail of lies” and a
“campaign of calumny” inspired by the
former president’s loss of political
relevance in the Southwest.
“Let me state from the outset that
contrary to Obasanjo’s claim, I am not
the
leader of the party in the South West,”
he
said in a statement on Saturday. “I am
just one of the party’s foot soldiers in
the
zone and it is in that capacity that I
am
made the chairman of the Organisation
and Mobilisation Committee for the
party
in the zone.”
Mr. Kashamu said it was
“preposterous”
to be referred to as the leader of the
party
in a zone that parades Bode George,
Shuaibu Oyedokun, Lekan Balogun,
Iyiola
Omisore, Teslim Folarin, Yekeen
Adeojo,
Clement Awoyelu, Ayodele Fayose,
Bode
Olajumoke.
He denied being wanted in the US.
Officials close to President Jonathan
and
Mr. Obasanjo said the president
contacted
the former leader by phone after being
informed of Mr. Obasanjo’s letter to the
PDP chairman. He denied
responsibility
for Mr. Kashamu’s appointment, a
decision he blamed on Mr. Tukur, who
has been at the centre of the PDP’s
months of intractable internal crisis.
Coming about a month after Mr.
Obasanjo penned a scathing letter
accusing Mr. Jonathan of being inept
and
corrupt –allegations the president
rejected in his reply-, the telephone
communication over Mr. Kashamu
appears partly a fence-mending move
by
the two leaders as their party’s
troubles
escalate in the face of credible threat
from
the opposition All Progressives
Congress,
APC.

PDP Still Needs You, Tukur Tells Obasanjo

The PDP National Chairman, Alhaji
Bamanga Tukur, on Saturday said
former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s
fatherly aura and experience in politics
were still required by the party.

Tukur said this in reaction to a letter
written to him and President Goodluck
Jonathan, dated Jan. 7, 2014, by
Obasanjo.

Obasanjo had, in the letter, raised
some issues related to the PDP in the
country’s South-West geo-political
zone.

The letter had also conveyed
Obasanjo’s decision to withdraw from
participating in the party`s politics at
all levels.

“It is an honour that you deemed it fit
and proper to intimate me with an
issue important to your mind and our
party in the south-west zone.
“It is my wish and prayer that such
cordial and positive relationship will
continue,” Tukur said.

He stated that Obasanjo’s experiences
as one of the party`s founding fathers
were required in its drive to get
stronger and become more formidable.

Tukur said the PDP had more pressing
challenges, bordering most
importantly on the coming Ekiti and
Osun states’ governorship elections
and the 2015 general elections.

All this, he said, required strong inputs
from the former president.
The PDP national chairman said
continuous dialogue was needed for a
stronger partnership among the
party’s stakeholders.

He maintained that the need for PDP
to reclaim lost grounds in the south-
west required the full support of party
leaders like Obasanjo.

Tukur expressed gratitude to Obasanjo
for his manner of approach and for
presenting his grievances on issues in
the PDP south-west.

“I thank you for your gesture and I
pray that we shall all continue to
dialogue and partner, so he can move
our party forward,” he said.
Baba also said there was the need for
PDP to attain success in the
governorship elections coming up in
Ekiti and Osun and the subsequent
elections in 2015.

This, according to him, was critical to
reclaiming lost grounds in the South-
West zone of the country.

On issues raised by Obasonjo in the
letter on the state of PDP in the south-
west, Tukur said the crisis within the
PDP in the zone preceded his
emergence as the party`s national
chairman.

He insisted that the party’s National
Executive Committee and the National
Working Committee were never part of
the problems in the south-west PDP.

“We came in when we were threatened
with contempt of court charges for not
obeying the court’s order to dissolve
the south-west zonal executive and
remove some officers of the party.

“We complied with the court orders
because of our belief in the rule of law
and to avoid consequences of
disobeying such orders.’’ Tukur said.

Obasanjo withdraws from PDP

Obasanjo withdraws from PDP •Writes
Tukur, copies Jonathan •PDP govs give
conditions for peace.

President Olusegun Obasanjo has fired
another letter, this time, to the National
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, in
which he gave a notice of his
withdrawal from the activities of the
party.

Obasanjo also sent a copy of the letter
to President Goodluck Jonathan as
National Leader of the party. A copy of
the letter was obtained by the Saturday
Tribune.

The former president, in the letter, said
he was withdrawing from all activities of
the party because the PDP had been
negating the principles of morality,
decency and discipline in its decisions,
especially as they affect the South West
where he comes from.

The letter, dated January 7, 2014,
according to a source at the national
secretariat of the party, was received in
the office of Tukur on Wednesday, 8
January, 2014. It is believed that
President Jonathan also got his own
copy on Thursday.

Obasanjo accused the party leadership
of imposing someone (names witheld),
who he described as a criminal wanted
abroad, on the party as its South West
zonal leader and proceeded to add that
he was forwarding with the letter,
“recent documents” on the alleged
activities of the person.

Efforts to get copies of the “recent
documents” by Saturday Tribune from
both the PDP national secretariat as
well as from Obasanjo’s side were,
however, not successful but a source at
PDP’s national secretariat confirmed
that the letter came with attachments.
He did not give further details.
The three paragraph letter reads:
“While I believe that a good and truly
national political party must be a
microcosm of the nation in its
membership, made up of all sorts of
characters from near-saints to near-
satan, I also believe that on no account
should a known habitual criminal that is
wanted abroad to face criminal charges
levelled against him be extolled as a
political leader in a respectable and
wholesome nation-building political
party.
“(...Names witheld) has been so extolled
in PDP in South-West geo-political zone
which I personally find unsavoury.

Politics played by any national political
party must have morality, decency,
discipline, principles and leadership
examples as cardinal practices of the
party. I have attached here recent
documents that clearly indicate that
your extolled PDP Zonal Leader in the
South-West zone of Nigeria and an
indigene of Ogun State is, to say the
least, not a credit to the party as a
member, let alone being a zonal leader.

“Since I stick in my practice of party
politics to the hallowed and cherished
principles enunciated above, I take this
opportunity to let you know that while I
continue to remain a card-carrying
member of PDP, I cannot and I will not
subscribe to a wanted habitual criminal
being installed as my zonal leader in the
party; a criminal for whom extradition
has been requested by the US
government. In the meantime, I will
consider withdrawing my activity with
PDP at local, state, zonal and national
levels until the anomalous and
shameful situation is corrected.”

A meeting of South West leaders of the
party, it was gathered, will hold in
Ibadan, Oyo State, today and may also
come up with far-reaching decisions on
the future of the party in the zone.
PDP governors give fresh conditions for
peace
PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP)
governors have given fresh conditions
for peace to return to the party and for
the chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to
remain in office.

Part of the conditions, according to
information gathered by the Saturday
Tribune, is for President Goodluck
Jonathan to prevail on Tukur to return
the structures of the party to them in
their respective states as well as make
them the leaders. Only after this would
they agree to resume adequate funding
of the party at all levels as well as its
national secretariat.

Part of Tukur’s ‘sins’ is his alleged
incessant interference in the affairs of
the state chapters, which is said to have
led to the setting up of caretaker
committees for some of the chapters.

The situation did not go down well with
the governors, who saw the action as
erosion of their powers as leaders in
their respective states.
The new development, sources close to
the governors said, followed the
intervention of some respected leaders
of the party who reportedly counseled
them on the implications of removing
Tukur now that the 2015 general
elections are around the corner.

Saturday Tribune, however, learnt that
the development had created a sharp
division among the governors, as some
of them are still insisting that the
embattled chairman must go as earlier
demanded, for them continue to be
relevant in the scheme of things in the
party ahead of the 2015 elections.

The likes of the governors of Jigawa
and Niger states, who were members of
the aggrieved G7 Governors before five
of them defected to the All Progressives
Congress (APC), and some others are
said to have insisted that for genuine
peace to return to the PDP and for the
party to maintain its supremacy come
2015 elections, there must be a
complete change of leadership.

However, one of the aides to Alhaji
Tukur revealed that the cause of friction
between Tukur and the governors was
his insistence that the party must be
returned to the grassroots, and that the
constitution of the party must be
followed to the letter to allow for due
process in election of candidates for
party or elective offices, rather than the
old order of imposition of candidates by
state governors without due process.

Patience Jonathan Threatens PDP Governors Over Tukur

The First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan
has continued to meddle in the affairs
of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), as it has emerged that she has
been haranguing the party's governors
into sparing the embattled National
Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga
Tukur.

Tukur has been blamed for much of
the crises that have bedevilled the
party, leading to calls for his removal
by the governors.
His removal was also one of the key
demands of the seven aggrieved
governors of the party, five of whom
have defected to the All Progressives
Congress (APC).
Their departure notwithstanding, the
remaining governors of PDP have
continued to push for his ouster on the
grounds that it would usher peace and
reconciliation in the party.

However, in the bid to stop his
removal, the first lady, THISDAY
learnt, has in recent days been
summoning the governors of the party
and mounting pressure on them to
drop the idea of Tukur's sack.
It was gathered that some of the
governors she has met with include
Kogi State Governor, Capt. Idris Wada,
with businesswoman, Ms. Bola
Shagaya, in attendance.

Sources said that at the meeting, the
first lady made it clear that the
governors should throw his support
behind Tukur, failing which she would
use her influence to ensure that he
does not get the ticket of the party for
a second term.

The sources also disclosed that Mrs.
Jonathan extended her campaign to
the Akwa Ibom Governor, Godswill
Akpabio, and his Abia State
counterpart, Theodore Orji.
When she met with them individually,
the source said, she informed them
that should they insist on Tukur's
ouster, she would impede their efforts
to determine who their successors will
be.

They said: "The first lady is very
determined to ensure Tukur remains
the chairman of the party, as she is of
the view that his sack could make her
husband, the president, vulnerable.
She also does not have confidence
that if Tukur is removed, there is a
guaranty that his successor will
protect the interest of the president as
the elections draw near.

"Others, however, say that the reason
she is interferring is because she is
backing other governorship aspirants
in many states, and a Tukur
chairmanship will guaranty her
candidates a free ride.
"But her meddlesomeness in the
affairs of the party is causing anger
and disquiet among the governors who
have vowed to resist any attempt on
her part to foist her demands on
them."

The governors had at a meeting last
Friday in Abuja unanimously agreed
that Tukur should be shown the door,
but given a soft landing to facilitate his
exit from office.

They are proposing, among other
sweetners, an ambassadorial posting
for him to quit as chairman.
The sources said the governors
determination to have Tukur sent
packing was made worse following his
meeting with senators last week,
where he promised them that he will
back them against the governors and
make them full National Executive
Committee (NEC) members.

The governors are expected to meet
with the president today after the
National Economic Council (NEC)
meeting to insist on Tukur's ouster.

Jonathan Remains PDP's Candidate For 2015 Elections - Tukur

The national chairman of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has declared
that President Goodluck Jonathan
is the party’s presidential candidate
in 2015 general elections.

Bamanga
Tukur disclosed this during the
inauguration of National PDP
Councillors’ Forum in Abuja. He
further told the party faithful not to
be deterred by people leaving for
other parties saying that even if
they leave the PDP the party
remains.

He further maintained that
PDP remains the strongest and
biggest party in Nigeria and Africa
insisting that the party is
insurmountable.

He said, “Don’t be deterred by
some people saying they are
leaving the party. People leaving
the party are individuals not the
party. It doesn’t mean if they leave
the party the party leaves. No, the
party remains. PDP is the only
party in Nigeria that fields a
candidate in every election that is
held. Don’t be deterred; don’t be
afraid, you are part of the ruling
party.”

He further tasked the councillors on
the role they have to play in making
sure that Jonathan wins the 2015
election.

In his remarks the former
governorship candidate of the PDP
in Edo State Major General Charles
Arhiavbere(rtd) said the
inauguration showed that the
members of PDP are solidly behind
President Goodluck Jonathan even
as he advised the executives to
reach out to the 13 states including
Edo State that is not under PDP
and bring them under the umbrella
of the party.

Speaking on the letter written to
President Jonathan by former
president Olusegun Obasanjo, the
former governor of Bayelsa State,
Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha said
that Obasanjo should play a
fatherly role and stop acting the
way he was doing. He maintained
that Obasanjo’s present style was
what made the former head of state
late General Sani Abacha to put
him in prison.

He said, “That was exactly what he
was doing till Abacha put him in
prison, the same style, he has
started again. Anyway I don’t think
he has advisers. If he has advisers
they will call him to order . He is
not the only statesman we have in
this country. Yes, I respect him as
former president. He has
contributed also to the sustenance
of democracy even in the military,
he played a significant role. We
acknowledge all that but power is
transit. When you finish your tenure
you hand over the baton to others
and support the person in power
and not to pull him down,” he
added.