2023 Presidency: Atiku, Tinubu’s camps react to Obasanjo’s snub, endorsement of Peter Obi
The campaign organizations of presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and that of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu have reacted to the endorsement of Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for next year’s election by former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
The campaign teams said the former president’s endorsement is not in good taste as it is not an indication of the wish of majority of Nigerians.
NewsClick Nigeria reports that Obasanjo in a letter on Sunday morning endorsed Obi for the February 2023 presidential election.
Reacting to this, the spokesperson of the Atiku Presidential Campaign, Kola Ologbondiyan on Sunday said Obasanjo’s endorsement does not reflect the wishes of most Nigerians.
Atiku’s campaign said Obi does not have the requisite experience, adding that the PDP candidate is the most experienced among all candidates. It expressed confidence that most Nigerians will support and elect the PDP’s presidential candidate.
According to the former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, former President Obasanjo is entitled to his personal opinion, which remains individualistic and cannot redirect Nigerians from their determination to vote for Atiku to rescue and rebuild Nigeria from the alleged misrule of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
He expressed surprise at the former President’s endorsement of Obi who has not had any experience in governance at the national level in the face of the alarming challenges facing the nation, which requires a tried and tested hand.
The statement reads in part: “In any case, Chief Obasanjo’s opinion cannot sway Nigerians who can easily remember how he endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari, whose administration, he (Obasanjo) now describes as “stressful years for many Nigerians,” during which our nation “moved from frying pan to fire and from mountain top to the valley.”
“It is, therefore, extremely difficult for Nigerians, particularly the youth demography, to accept Chief Obasanjo’s opinion as the solution to the myriad of challenges facing the nation today because the last candidate he introduced, by his estimation, failed Nigerians.
“Our campaign holds that none of the Presidential candidates has the experience, capacity, tenacity of purpose, presence of mind, and readiness to serve like Atiku Abubakar.
“Atiku remains the most widely accepted candidate, whose choice is not predicated by sectional, tribal, ethnic or religious sentiments or the endorsement of any individual, high or low, but by the record of ability and performance, authentic vision, honesty, and character; physical and mental capacity; the very indices set by the former President.
“It is instructive to state that every claim by former President Obasanjo on the success of his administration is a reflection of the performance of Atiku Abubakar as his Vice President and Chairman of the National Economic Council during which our nation achieved unprecedented economic growth to become one of the fastest growing economies in the world”.
Ologbondiyan said it is a disservice for the former President to make subjective suggestions even when it is clear that when Atiku becomes president Nigeria will be rescued from this “current sullen state.”
The Atiku campaign organization urged Nigerians not to be distracted by subjective opinions but to remain focused on the resolve to salvage the nation by electing the former Vice President.
Obasanjo’s endorsement killed Atiku’s ambition, not Tinubu’s – Keyamo
Meanwhile, the Director, Public Affairs and Chief Spokesperson of the All Progressive Congress, APC Presidential Campaign Council PCC, Festus Keyamo SAN, said the New Year day endorsement of Labour Party LP Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi by former President Olusegun Obasanjo killed the chances of the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Keyamo said Obasanjo’s endorsement is of no effect on the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Minister of State, Labour and Employment, however, said Obasanjo was well within his rights to make his choices known.
He noted that Atiku’s former boss, Obasanjo’s adoption of Obi implies that the former president does not believe that Atiku deserves to be Nigeria’s president at this time.
