The Chairman, Organisation and Mobilisation Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West, Chief Buruji Kashamu, has berated former President Olusegun Obasanjo for saying President Goodluck Jonathan asked for one term in office.
Obasanjo, while speaking to a London-based tabloid, Bloomberg News, on Wednesday, had said Jonathan promised to serve just one term during the pre-2011 election campaign.
In a statement on Friday, he said contrary to Obasanjo’s earlier decision to stay away from activities in the ruling party to press home his grievances, the ex-President had the motive to be the spoiler from within.
Kashamu said, “Among the other things he (Obasanjo) said, the one that caught my attention was where he said, “One of the things that is (sic) very important in the life of any man or any person is that he will be a man or a person of his word…
“Ordinarily, as it has been said elsewhere, I would have chosen to ignore him but I could not stomach Pa Obasanjo’s sanctimony.”
In the interview, the ex-President had said in parts, “President Jonathan said, not only once, twice, publicly, not only in Nigeria, outside Nigeria, that he would have one term, and said that to me.
“One of the things that is very important in the life of any man or any person, is that he should be a man or person of his word,” Obasanjo said, adding that “If you decide that your word should not be taken seriously, that’s entirely up to you.”
Kashamu, however, recalled that Jonathan had stated during a media chat held on September 29, 2013, that he did not sign any agreement for a single term and challenged those who said so to produce their evidence.
He added that it was confusing whether to address Obasanjo as a fellow PDP man or a member of the opposition. He said while the ex-President had told the whole world in his January 7, 2014, letter to the leadership of the ruling party that he was withdrawing from the activities of the party, he had yet to back off.
Kashamu said, “Nothing drives this point home more succinctly than a meeting he held with a handful of his associates a few days ago. He told them to go and register with the All Progressives Congress and that he had negotiated with his kinsman, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, to fix them up.
“He said, as part of the deal, he had already secured the Ogun-Central Senatorial ticket of the APC for the former National Auditor of our great party, Mr. Bode Mustapha.
“Now to think that the same man, who cannot keep to his words, is the same person sermonising on the virtues of honour leaves much to be desired.”
He noted that Jonathan had the right to decide whether to run or not.
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