Former president Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday said President Goodluck Jonathan was not ready to handover power on May 29 if he lost at the polls on March 28, liking him to the ex-president of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, who after losing presidential election in his country to Alhassan Ouattara, refused to handover to him and proceeded to unleash terror on his countrymen.
Obasanjo said the election postponement, which came to him as big surprise may be part of Jonathan’s grand design to perpetuate himself in office. He expressed his belief that the Independent National Electroral Commission’s chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, was forced by service chiefs to postponement the elections.
“I am surprise with the postponement. I left Nigeria penultimate Wednesday, I traveled to Morocco, Munich, Nairobi, London and New Delhi. Exactly a week today, we were in Munich for the Munich Security Conference. I was there with Koffi Annah, a lot of world leaders were there and I was to talk about peace in Africa.
“Suddenly, people started asking me questions from different part of the world about the development in Nigeria. I decided not to issue any categorical statement until I got back home.
“It turned out to be a forced decision on INEC, it was alleged that the security chiefs were unable to provide security and as a result, Jega has to postpone in accordance with the dictate of the so called security chiefs. It is a bad precedent for democracy in Nigeria. It means no matter any preparation the nation set on ground in future for any elections, the final decision lies on the security. This is a sad day for democracy in Nigeria,” Obasanjo said to journalists at his Abeokuta residence.
Obasanjo stated that allowing the service chiefs to force the polls shift was a bad precedent for democracy in Nigeria. He note that President Jonathan may have allowed this to happen because it may be part of his tenure elongation plans.
“President Jonathan has a grand plan to ensure that by hook or crook, he wins the election and if he fail, he scuttles it and brings chaos, confusion and unpleasantness in the whole country. It is either he is following his own grand plan or playing a script, which of course, must have gotten his endorsement.
“He is trying to play Gbagbo, the former president of Cote D’Ivoire. He postponed election in his country until he saw that he will win. He doid not allow elections to hold, when it eventually held, it was an inconclusive election. In the run off election, he lost to Quattara and he refused to hand over, he unleashed horror in that country until nemesis caught up with him. I believe we may be seeing a repeat of that, what I called, ‘Gbagbo Saga’,” he stated.
The ex president dismissed Jonathan’s statement that the service chiefs and INEC did not consult Jonathan before the polls where shifted to later dates, claiming that “he is reigning and not ruling, so who are those hiding somewhere and ruling this country?”
Obasanjo also told journalists that his support for the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari was based on his conviction that the former general would be a credible and a performer if elected. He revealed that he would not hesitate to criticise him if he performed otherwise. He also allayed fears that Buhari may exhibit dictatorial tendencies.
He said, “I believe General Buhari will fight corruption, he will give firm leadership. When he was there before, he was a military and military leader is both the executive and the legislative but in democracy, it is not possible like that.
“Moreso, military has been rendered impotent and I believe he will do everything to resuscitate it because he knows the military well, so he will do it, if he fails to do it, I will say shame unto him.”
He, however, advised President Jonathan to do away with the sycophants he currently surrounded himself with. He said the presidents aides were responsible for misleading him.
“For me I would not stop,there is nothing better than democracy. And for those who are pushing President Jonathan,he should beware because when the chips are down,he will be naked and they will mock him at the end. I wish President Goodluck Jonathan, General Muhwmmed Buhari and every Nigerian every good wish,”
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