Elections: Don’t ignore concerns raised about some presidential candidates, Obasanjo warns Nigerians

Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has urged Nigerians to eschew ethnic and religious sentiment as they elect a new president next month.

Obasanjo, in a statement while felicitating with the Federal Government College, Kaduna, on its 50th anniversary, implored Nigerians not let those who undermine the unity and peaceful coexistence of the country have their way.

He charged the citizenry to change the political course of the country by participating actively in the forthcoming elections, urging them not to joke with the presidential poll.

The former president said the concerns raised about the presidential candidates are real, adding that Nigerians would have themselves to blame if they do nothing about the situation.

“Let me reiterate that the concerns being raised about the nature of the options before us in the presidential elections for instance are real and should not be trifled with,” the statement reads.

“Nigeria belongs to us all and no part of the country should be left in doubt about their place in this union on any basis whatsoever; ethnic, religious, language, region, culture or social standing.

“The beauty of democracy is that the options before us cannot be imposed on us if we all do what we need to do to send a message to those who have had the audacity to present those options to us with little or no interest for the 225 million Nigerians.

“If we choose to do nothing, we will only have ourselves to blame. If we choose to do the right thing, we will by so doing return this country on the right track; one which gives all our people a sense of belonging and a sense of unity of purpose and a stake in the project Nigeria; a project that will give all of us peace, security, stability, shared prosperity, hope and progress and a place within the comity of nations.”