Former President Olusegun Obasanjo rejected yesterday the peace moves by his party’s leadership, saying he cannot be in the same group with “a drug baron” wanted in the United States.


He urged President Goodluck Jonathan and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders to do the “needful” instead of begging him for forgiveness.
Said Obasanjo “Today, Nigeria needs all hands on deck to deal with our pressing problems of security, including the issue of Chibok girls, widening inequality, infrastructure, impunity, corruption, poverty and youth education, skill acquisition, empowerment and employment.


“These are issues of concern to most Nigerians.  We all need to join hands to move Nigeria forward.  I don’t need to be begged for that.
“Rather, I beg and appeal to those who are begging me to realise that we must put Nigeria’s interest above politics – party or personal – otherwise, we will all be judged at the bar of history if not the bar of current affairs.
“In addition, we must preserve, sustain and deepen democracy and democratic practices.”


The former leader insisted that he had never left the party and would remain a card-carrying member, having ruled the country for two terms on its ticket.
Obasanjo, who returned from a trip to South Africa at the weekend, made his position known in a statement in Abeokuta yesterday.


He was reacting to last week’s statement by PDP National Chairman Adamu Mua’zu and other leaders when they were welcoming back into the fold former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel.


Mu’azu had said: “I want to join Governor Daniel to appeal to our Baba, President Olusegun Obasanjo, to forgive us. We are your children and we have been making mistakes; we have made mistakes and so we apologise.


“Please, Baba, we apologise; come and lead us. Even the President (Jonathan) is waiting for you to come and lead us; you are our leader, we appreciate you, we thank you for your leadership and your courage.”

The former Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, who was in South Africa over South Sudan’s increasing insecurity and violence, said  he almost cut short his stay there following “the avalanche of news, cacophony of appeals and pleadings from some quarters of PDP”, which he described as evidential manifestation of “misunderstanding and misrepresentation” of facts.


Obasanjo, who added that he had occasion to make his stand on vital matters affecting the party known to Jonathan, Senate President David Mark, who recently visited him on behalf of the party.


Obasanjo said issues of principle, morality, honour, integrity, commitment and character are to him paramount. He said he could not “accept that the zonal leader of my political party and, worse still in my zone, will be an indicted drug baron wanted in America.”


He went on: “During last week when I was in South Africa as the Chairman of African Union (AU) Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan and while with my fellow Commissioners, we were deliberating on how to help that new country (South Sudan) out of its problem of security and violence, I received an avalanche of news and cacophony of appeals and pleadings from some quarters of PDP leadership.


“Talking of inviting me back to PDP is wrong and it is a great misrepresentation as I have never left the PDP and I will never leave the PDP.
“I have said it before and I will say it again, I rose to become the President of Nigeria on the platform of PDP and for that reason alone, I will remain a card-carrying and ward-active member of PDP for as long as I have to be a political party member.


“Secondly, nobody has personally offended me as a result of my membership of PDP.  If, however, anybody or group feels offended by my continued membership, I will offer an unreserved apology but continue to remain in the Party.
“I have had occasions to say to the President, the Senate President and the Party Chairman separately that I have no quarrel with any individual or group in the Party.  There are, for me, issues of principle, morality, honour, integrity, commitment and character, which are paramount.


“For instance, as a former President of Nigeria, the Chairman of West Africa Commission on Drug and a member of Global Commission on Drug, I cannot accept that the Zonal leader of my political Party and, worse still in my zone, will be an indicted drug baron wanted in America.


“How do I explain that to friends outside Nigeria?  This is only one of the many issues that I have pointed and still pointing out.
“I have national and international standard to maintain and reputation to keep and sustain.  For these reasons, I opted to remain active only at the ward level of the Party till the leadership does the needful.


“But under no condition will my commitment to Nigeria be diminished.  And, for me, it is commitment to Nigeria first and any other commitment can only follow in second or third place. Where any other commitment is in tandem with what I see and understand as commitment to Nigeria, such other commitment will share a pride of place with Nigeria.

“I must hasten to thank the President, the Senate President and the Chairman of PDP with whom, at their instances, these issues have been discussed and laid to rest.  My interest and commitment to Nigeria go beyond partisan politics.”


http://www.naijatelescope.com/drug-baron-cant-be-my-party-leader-obasanjo-to-pdp/

Am beginning to respect obj small small....

Best Pres Africa ever had

Lobolintin:
Best Pres Africa ever had

Mumuyi

There is a chemistry between OBJ and PDP .

Look at obj complaining about impunity and corruption etc!? Hmm wonders shall never end, so when he brought do or die politics in Nigerian it was a commitment to Nigeria greater than partisan politics? If he's got problems with his zonal or ward chairman then he's not influential at the grassroots. To me obj should stop all these pretence cause he's no messiah.

I will always hate obj,dude was a failure as a president and head of state. I see obj as being worse than gej. Obj had international respect,did nigeria gain frm dat? Obj cudnt give us power for 8 yrs,bad roads,unemployment etc. Obj cud av been d messiah,he had d opportunity as none of his ministers were too big for him to cut to size,no godfather to fear. Obj really bleeped up

I want the kind of OBJ as presido,the man seems not to tolerate coRruption

Nigeria must love OBJ for he is now the Mandela of Africa, the Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, the George Washington of the US and the Prophet Elijah of God for Nigeria. GEJ is his Elisha. And so God help "AYERIA", NIGERIA!

SkySpirit:
Look at obj complaining about impunity and corruption etc!? Hmm wonders shall never end, so when he brought do or die politics in Nigerian it was a commitment to Nigeria greater than partisan politics? If he's got problems with his zonal or ward chairman then he's not influential at the grassroots. To me obj should stop all these pretence cause he's no messiah.

what is this thing saying?

SLIDEwaxie:
what is this thing saying?

hes talking sense..and besides he aint breying,hes talking..

all obasanjo said are the truth YET he is behind all these irregularities. why did he make himself worthy of imposing shadows on nigeria and nigerians?
if he only allowed nigerians to choose their leaders.
did he even fight corruption under his govt?
was he worthy to rule over nigerians when he could not put his own house in order.
he complains about drug baron as if that is the only abnormal person in the party. what about the former ex-convicts that parade themselves as rulers?

Abeg who be dis drug baron baba dey talk abt

Montaque:
I want the kind of OBJ as presido,the man seems not to tolerate coRruption

Not like yuv never had him as one...when you had him sir, what happened?...what did he use eight years of his own time to do...I'm no anti obj and. Not affliated to any party but the burning question should be what did he achieve during his own time?

Lobolintin:
Best Pres Africa ever had

that means pdp is not a bad party nah?

This comment was extracted from vanguard newspaper:

OBJ, since you were talking of integrity please can you first of all clear your name as an Afican leader and Elder from the accusations that you slept with your son's wife. True or False?

Baba Iyabo, please can you clear your name from all the accusations leveled against you by Sen.Iyabo Obasanjo, your daughter. Are they true?

This is because we want to prove you are a decent, honest, dependable, man who has integrity.

Baba Obasanjo can you please tell us you were not friends with Buruji while he was facing Court Action in the UK while you were still the Head of State.
Why were you working together with this same Buruji against Gbenga Daniel, destabilizing Ogun state a few years ago?......When did you realize that Buruji Kashamu is an "Indicted Drug Baron"?

Why is it now that Buruji has defected from you, defeated you in the control of South West PDP that you have turned around to tell us he is a thief?

When have you become the catcher of thieves for the US? And who told you the US can't get Buruji if they really want him?

OBJ, nothing lasts forever.
Do you remember how you betrayed Awolowo? Do you remember how you ran down Abiola?
Do you remember your ALF and how you tried to run down Afenifere Leaders?
Do you remember betraying and blackmailing Peter Odili?
Do you remember trying to sacrifice Iyiola Omisore when you sacrifice the Cicero of Esa-Oke?
Do you remember betraying Gen.Bode George? Do you remember how low your relationship became with Yar'Adua before his demise?

Your relegation must never trouble you because it is a well deserved one arising from your habitual treachery against people who helped you.
Do you remember your disgrace of Tony Anenih as BOT chair of PDP?
Baba, your sins are too many, very many, so stop telling us about your stupid love for Nigeria and her interest, they are fake.

Obasanjo, afterall you Olusegun is the longest serving Head of State of Nigeria after independence so whatever is wrong with Nigeria is your fault.
Betrayer of his Friends and Associates...you think you are clever?

Go and commit suicide if you can't stomach the fact that you can't stop Goodluck Jonathan for second term.

 You cannot be more knowledgeable and powerful than God....You stopped Peter ODILI because you thought you were stoping the Igbos, You manipulated Northerners out of Power because you were stoping Atiku and Buhari, Now God has accepted Goodluck to outshine you and you can't live with it, then, Go and commt suicide...Afterall many of your friends, age mates, course mates, associates and colleagues are dead.

After all Nzeogwu your friend is long dead, Scorpion is dead, Bisala is dead, even Shehu Yar'Adua one of our best Patriots and your Junior is long Dead, Achuzia is dead, Nwawo is dead, even Joe Garba is dead......T.Y.Danjuma does not cause the type of troubles you are causing, knowing the troubles and crimes you guys committed in this country......Obasanjo you must be grateful and stop making troubles.

The Buruji Kashamu guy, we can neither defend nor condemn, we never knew him...you foisted him on PDP when it suites you.

Shut up Baba, you can't eat your cake and have it "Vote for Goodluck Jonathan 2015, Vote for a real Democracy, Vote against Boko Haram, Vote against Obasanjo, Buhari, Babangida, Abdulsalami and against all those old "crooks" who manipulated and destroyed Nigeria.

Vote for a New National Order 2015, Vote for the most Democratic and Achieving President Nigeria ever had, Vote for GEJ/Sambo 2015.

I am Nwaebule Akor.

lol

Obj you should be doing what you know how to do best i.e,being a farmer.You had the chance to transform this country but you failed.We can boast of good federal roads.Now I experience over 24 hours of uninterrupted power supply in my area.We all know that GEJ has his own flaws.That is quite understanding because nobody is perfect.We don't need distractors like you anymore.Gbam

As Baba grows older, his wisdom grows.

handsum92:



Not like yuv never had him as one...when you had him sir, what happened?...what did he use eight years of his own time to do...I'm no anti obj and. Not affliated to any party but the burning question should be what did he achieve during his own time?

what I meant was that We need a president who can be bold to call corruption what it really is...just like obj rejecting Mr.Kashamu irrespective of political affiliation. OBJ may not have achieved much to your taste,but he had a good fight with corruption,we dont ve that now.

Baba agbe will never stop to amuse me. with is pedigree in politics, he shouldn't be engaging somebody like kashamu in alteration. Baba agbe will never stop to amuse me. with is pedigree in politics, he shouldn't be engaging somebody like kashamu in altecation.