Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has again hit hard at his estrange godson, President Goodluck Jonathan who recently said that Nigeria did not belong to anybody.
Obasanjo said that those who say that “Nigeria doesn’t belong to anybody; I believe that is a stupid saying. Nigeria belongs to all of us because anything that doesn’t belong to anybody, anything can happen to it. For me, Nigeria belongs to all of us and we are stakeholders in this country.”
Obasanjo who received in audience today the presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Dr. Martins Onovo at his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, emphasized that it would be foolish for anyone to say that Nigeria does not belong to anybody.
He made it clear that he would not keep quiet and watch things degenerate in this country, saying that though he is a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on which platform he ruled the country for eight years, but that he would not sacrifice his life for any political party or Presidential candidate as he is determined to do for the country..
He explained that since he left office, his pre-occupation had been to work for the interest of the country.
“My first pre-occupation is what is best for Nigeria: Nigeria first, political party second and any other thing third. Nigeria first means I’ll not sacrifice anything for the interest of Nigeria and I can sacrifice my own life for the interest of Nigeria.
“I can’t sacrifice my life for the interest of a party; I’ll sacrifice my life for the interest of Nigeria.”
He wished the candidate every success in his endeavour even as he paid tribute to the founder of the party, Gani Fawehinmi, saying: “I believe he was a genuine social critic and though, you may not agree with all he said or how he went about it, but he was definitely a genuine social critic.
“So if you, as the flag bearer of the party, believed that you should follow in his footstep of integrity and genuine critical analysis and committed analysis and criticism of the situation in the country, I think nobody will fault you.”
He advised the party to accept whatever is the outcome of the election if the election is free, fair and uninterrupted, stressing that people should not necessarily be in government before contributing their own quota to the development of the country.
“If what you’re trying to do is in the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerians accept and vote for you, who I am not to accept you as President of Nigeria, I will. But in this your campaign, try to inform, woo and to convince the electorate. Whatever may be the outcome of the election after you have done all that, once the election is free and fear and undisturbed, uninterrupted, then you have to accept the verdict of the people.” [myad]
