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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo today released a strong worded statement to finally turn his back on the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The ex-president in the statement, advised President Buhari to take the path of a “dignified and honourable dismount from the horse”. He also called on Nigerians not to allow the President continue beyond 2019.
Below are seven reasons why Buhari would be a bad choice in 2019, according to the long statement:
1. Inability to lead government to protect Nigerians
Obasanjo lamented in his statement that “it is no credit to the Federal Government that the herdsmen rampage continues with careless abandon and without finding an effective solution to it”. He added: “The issue of herdsmen/crop farmers dichotomy should not be left on the political platform of blame game; the Federal Government must take the lead in bringing about solution that protects life and properties of herdsmen and crop farmers alike and for them to live amicably in the same community”
2. Nepotism and clannish behaviour
Obasanjo also accused Buhari of “nepotic deployment bordering on clannishness and inability to bring discipline to bear on errant members of his nepotic court”. According to Obasanjo, “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?”
3. Dividing the nation
Obasanjo said Buhari has a “poor understanding of the dynamics of internal politics”. He said “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.
4. Not accepting responsibility as President
Obasanjo accused Buhari of passing the buck all the time “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”. The ex-president said: “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”
5. Assembling an incompetent cabinet and selfish advisers
Obasanjo stressed that he knew President Buhari la ked understanding of the economy but “thought that he could make use of good Nigerians in that area that could help”. He said further: “I know his weakness in understanding and playing in the foreign affairs sector and again, there are many Nigerians that could be used in that area as well. They have knowledge and experience that could be deployed for the good of Nigeria”
Advising Buhari not to fall for the sycophantic calls to seek a second term, Chief Obasanjo advised the president to beware of his “self-serving, so-called advisers, who would claim that they love him more than God loves him and that without him, there would be no Nigeria say”
6. Condoning corruption in his cabinet
In Obasanjo’s words, “There were serious allegations of round-tripping against some inner caucus of the Presidency which would seem to have been condoned. I wonder if such actions do not amount to corruption and financial crime, then what is it? Culture of condonation and turning blind eye will cover up rather than clean up. And going to justice must be with clean hands”
7. Placing the presidency in the hands of a cabal
“Kinship and friendship that place responsibility for governance in the hands of the unelected can only be deleterious to good government and to the nation”, Obasanjo pointed out.
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