Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has criticized President Muhammadu Buhar over the callous killings of innocent Nigerians by Fulani herdsmen and shielding corrupt members of his government. Obasanjo advised President Muhammadu Buhari against seeking re-election in 2019.
Obasanjo made this claims in a 13-page statement released onTuesday.
In a special press statement entitled, “The Way Out: A Clarion Call for Coalition for Nigeria Movement”, the former president said whoever is “going to justice must be with clean hands.”
Obasanjo wrote: “But there are three other areas where President Buhari has come out more glaringly than most of us thought we knew about him. One is nepotic deployment bordering on clannishness and inability to bring discipline to bear on errant members of his nepotic court. This has grave consequences on performance of his government to the detriment of the nation.
“It would appear that national interest was being sacrificed on the altar of nepotic interest. What does one make of a case like that of Maina: collusion, condonation, ineptitude, incompetence, dereliction of responsibility or kinship and friendship on the part of those who should have taken visible and deterrent disciplinary action? How many similar cases are buried, ignored or covered up and not yet in the glare of the media and the public?
“The second is his poor understanding of the dynamics of internal politics. This has led to wittingly or unwittingly making the nation more divided and inequality has widened and become more pronounced. It also has effect on general national security.
“The third is passing the buck. For instance, blaming the Governor of the Central Bank for devaluation of the naira by 70% or so and blaming past governments for it, is to say the least, not accepting one’s own responsibility. Let nobody deceive us, economy feeds on politics and because our politics is depressing, our economy is even more depressing today. If things were good, President Buhari would not need to come in. He was voted to fix things that were bad and not engage in the blame game.”
Obasanjo also berated Buhari for allowing the clashes between herdsmen and farmers to go “sour” and messy, saying the endorsement of the President by some Governors to seek re-election barely 24 hours after 73 people who were killed by herdsmen in Benue State were given mass burial, was “a sad symptom of insensitivity and callousness.”
The Presidency on Tuesday said it will not comment on the letter released by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Obasanjo, in a lengthy and strongly-worded statement, also promoted what may become a political party, Coalition for Nigeria, CN.
Obasanjo further lambasted the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), insisting that they cannot solve Nigeria’s problems.
“I, therefore, will gladly join such a Movement when one is established as Coalition for Nigeria, CN, taking Nigeria to the height God has created it to be. From now on, the Nigeria eagle must continue to soar and fly high”, he said.
“CN, as a Movement, will be new, green, transparent and must remain clean and always active, selflessly so.”
When accosted by State House correspondents, Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, maintained sealed lips.
Pressed further, Shehu simple replied “We won’t comment now.”
