This is in line with Onanuga’s claim that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, won’t be disturbed by the former President’s “worthless” support for the former governor of Anambra State.
This comes after Obasanjo identified Obi as his mentee and said that the Labour Party candidate has an advantage over other candidates in the presidential election race in his New Year address to Nigerians on Sunday, January 1, 2023.
The ex-President stated that while none of the contenders is a saint, the Labour Party’s nominee has the greater comprehension, knowledge, and discipline needed to succeed him as president of Nigeria.
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Onanuga responded on Sunday with a statement in which he characterized Obasanjo as a paperweight with no political influence in Nigeria to help anyone win a council election, much less a presidential one.
We found it amusing that former president Olusegun Obasanjo had endorsed Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party, in his New Year’s address on Sunday.
“We chose to release this opening statement after receiving calls from journalists from numerous media outlets asking for our comment, even though we didn’t think the alleged endorsement had any significance.
“We appreciate former President Obasanjo’s democratic freedom to back and endorse any candidate in any election.
Any astute political observer in Nigeria knows that Chief Obasanjo’s preference for Obi is predictable, barring the official announcement he made in his new year’s speech.
He had already expressed his views at a number of public gatherings, most recently at Chief John Nwodo’s 70th birthday celebration in Enugu, a former leader of the Ohaneze Ndigbo.
We boldly assert that our party and candidate, Tinubu, won’t be disturbed by Obasanjo’s decision because the former president is well known for consistently opposing progressive political forces, as he did in 1993 when he opposed MKO Abiola.
The endorsement is actually useless because the previous president has no political clout or influence in Nigeria to influence someone to win a council election, much less a presidential one. He is a political paperweight.
Additionally, no one should be proud to associate with him as a democrat.
“As you may remember, Obasanjo utilized every coercive tool at his disposal during the general elections of 2003 and 2007 to railroad individuals into elective positions against the stated will of Nigerian voters.
“After failing in his attempt to modify our constitution to allow for a third term, he declared the 2007 elections to be a do-or-die issue.
According to our statistics, the late president Obasanjo has not been able to influence an election result in Nigeria since that time.
No one can run for governor or council seat with his support or endorsement, not even in Ogun State.
Onanuga is sympathetic toward Obi: The director of communications for the campaign council also said that the APC was convinced that Obasanjo would lose the upcoming election in his Abeokuta ward and voting unit to Obi.
Chief Obasanjo’s endorsement is not political money Mr. Peter Obi can deploy elsewhere in Nigeria because he is not a political force, even in his region, the statement concluded.
“Chief Obasanjo also backed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate running against President Major General Muhammadu Buhari in 2019,” (retd.). In the election, Buhari defeated Atiku by a large majority.
“History will be made again in February, when Tinubu will easily defeat Obi.
We pay particular attention to the passage in Chief Obasanjo’s pledge of support when he claims that none of the presidential contenders are saints.
“We want to make it clear right here that Chief Obasanjo is a poor character judge. He is a man who regards himself as Nigeria’s all-knowing saint.
Chief Obasanjo has come to believe that integrity, honesty, and all other positive qualities start and stop with him throughout the years.
