I’ll Never Leave PDP —Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

 

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday, maintained his stance that he is still a card carrying and active member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying he would continue to be actively involved at the ward level against the national level, until issues raised by him concerning the party were addressed.

Obasanjo, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, was speaking against the backdrop of an appeal made by the leadership of the party, asking for his forgiveness in any way the party had wronged him.

The two-time elected president said he had no issue with any individual or group of people, as far as the party was concerned, but contended that issues of principle, morality, honour, integrity, commitment and character remained paramount to him.

Obasanjo added that he had never for once left the party, noting that the issue of re-inviting him back was mere misrepresentation.

“Sometimes last week, when I was in South Africa as the Chairman of African Union (AU) Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan and while with my fellow commissioners, we were deliberating on how to help that new country out of its problem of security and violence, I received avalanche of news and cacophony of appeals and pleadings from some quarters of PDP leadership.

“There are misunderstandings and misrepresentations which some of those appeals and pleas manifested; hence this explanation from me.

“Talking of inviting me back to PDP is wrong and it is a great misrepresentation, as I have never left PDP and I will never leave PDP.

“I have said it before and I will say it again, I rose to become the president of Nigeria on the platform of PDP and for that reason alone, I will remain a card-carrying and ward-active member of PDP for as long as I have to be a political party member,” he said.

The former president said he would remain active in the party at the ward level until the party leadership did the needful on some of the issues he had, at different times, raised in the interest of the party.

He pointed out the fact that he would not accept “an indicted drug baron said to be wanted in America” to be the leader of his party in his zone.

Obasanjo said his position as the former president of the country, chairman of West Africa Commission on Drug and a member of Global Commission on Drug would not allow him to accept “an indicted drug baron wanted in America” to be the leader of his party in the South-West zone.

He added that he remained committed to the service of the nation, urging all Nigerians to work towards solving the challenges of insecurity, including the continued abduction of the Chibok girls, widening inequality, impunity, corruption, poverty and youth education, infrastructure, empowerment and employment generation.

“Nobody has personally offended me as a result of my membership of PDP. If, however, anybody or group feels offended by my continued membership, I will offer an unreserved apology but continue to remain in the party.

“I have had occasions to say to the president, the Senate President and the party chairman separately that I have no quarrel with any individual or group in the party. There are, for me, issues of principle, morality, honour, integrity, commitment and character, which are paramount.

“I have national and international standard to maintain and reputation to keep and sustain. For these reasons, I opted to remain active only at the ward level of the party till the leadership does the needful.

“But under no condition will my commitment to Nigeria be diminished. And, for me, it is commitment to Nigeria first and any other commitment can only follow in second or third place. Where any other commitment is in tandem with what I see and understand as commitment to Nigeria, such other commitment will share a pride of place with Nigeria.

“I must hasten to thank the president, the Senate President and the chairman of PDP with whom, at their instances, these issues have been discussed and laid to rest. My interest and commitment to Nigeria go beyond partisan politics.

“Today, Nigeria needs all hands on deck to deal with our pressing problems of security. These are issues of concern to most Nigerians. We all need to join hands to move Nigeria forward. I don’t need to be begged for that.

In his reaction Prince Kashamu said ''my attention has been drawn to yet another diatribe against my person by former President Olusegun Obasanjo'' in what was supposed to be his response to the pleas made to him to come back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to him, “the issue of my so-called indictment in the United States, I wish to state for the umpteenth time that I am not wanted by anyone. Even if that were the case, there are processes and procedures to follow, and they are not subject to anyone’s whims and caprices, not even Obasanjo’s because no man is God.”

He said I am “one of the many issues” that he had pointed out and still pointing out. Although he did not state what the other “many issues” were, he made a heavy weather out of my purported indictment over some drug-related offences.

First, his statement is yet another cocktail of lies served with his legendary deceit as shall be shown shortly.

He said he was displeased at my allegedly being made the leader of the party in the South West. First, it should be noted that as against his earlier assertion that I am “a wanted habitual criminal...for whom extradition has been requested by the US Government...”, he has now described me “as an indicted drug baron wanted in America”.

"The indubitable fact of history that Baba Obasanjo has not told the world is that it was during his first tenure as President that he and former Beninoise President Matthew Kerekou directed the relevant security agencies to give truthful evidence that exonerated me.

"That was why the Interpol in Nigeria and Benin Republic as well as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) came to the London courts in 2000/2001 to give evidence during my incarceration and trial.

"That also explained why when I returned I became his associate. He used me to prosecute his battle against former Governor Gbenga Daniel. When it was time to field candidates for the 2011 general elections, he brought his stooge, Gen. Adetunji Olurin, and asked me to roll the party structure behind his anointed candidate.

"In his usual holier-than-thou manner, he talked about not being able to work with me because of his principles, honour and integrity. But the questions Nigerians should ask him are: where were his principles when he used to take me into the inner recesses of his abode?

"Where was his honour when he served me breakfast, lunch and dinner in his Hilltop mansion? Where was his integrity when he mounted the rostrum to sing my praises, praying for me as he did in May 2010 during a reception for the former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye? I can go on and on!

"Despite his pretensions, the reason I have become the target of Obasanjo’s wicked campaign of calumny and blackmail is his perceived loss of political relevance in Ogun State and the South West. He is against the second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan and he had wanted to use the erstwhile National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; the former National Auditor, Bode Mustapha and the ex-National Vice-Chairman, Segun Oni, to thwart Mr. President’s re-election.

"The almighty Allah Subhana wa tala used me to stand up to him and the rest is history. Before his very eyes the PDP in the South West is on a rebound and we are winning elections free and square unlike what obtained during his reign when contrived electoral victories were being easily upturned.  Despite working for the All Progressives Congress (APC) which he had ordered his followers to join, the PDP is waxing stronger in the zone.

"Contrary to Obasanjo’s claim, I am just one of the leaders of the party in the South West. I am one of the party’s foot soldiers in the zone and it is in that capacity that I am made the Chairman of the Organisation and Mobilisation Committee for the South West PDP. The party in the zone has not been handed over to anyone but to its relevant organs and structures.

"It is indeed preposterous for anyone to call me the leader of the party in a zone that parades political juggernauts like Governor-Elect Ayo Fayose, Chief Olabode George, Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, Senator Lekan Balogun, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Senator Teslim Folarin, Alhaji Yekeen Adeojo, Senator Clement Awoyelu, Senator Bode Olajumoke and a host of others.

"Now, on the issue of my so-called indictment in the United States, I wish to state for the umpteenth time that I am not wanted by anyone. Even if that were the case, there are processes and procedures to follow, and they are not subject to anyone’s whims and caprices, not even Obasanjo’s because no man is God.

"As I have continually stated, I have never stepped my feet into the U.S neither do I have any business there. I was wrongly accused, arrested, tried and freed over the same indictment. Indeed, my arrest, detention and trial were at the behest of United State’s government and the U.S authorities fully participated in the whole extradition proceedings.

"If after a full trial on the basis of the same indictment, the British courts exonerated me, which other indictment is Obasanjo talking about? What happens to the general principle of International Law on double-jeopardy? It is commonsensical that even without any judicial pronouncement the indictment is technically dead. I cannot be tried by the same parties over the same issues again.

While I would do a more detailed response to Obasanjo’s relentless tirades against me in due course; it is high time he retraced his misguided steps. He should borrow a leaf from a time–tested Yoruba proverb which says those who dance naked with glee in the night would have themselves exposed to shame when the morning comes. Although he is seen as Goliath, I would triumph over him the same way the almighty Allah Subhana wa tala used me in rescuing the party from his vice-grip in Ogun State, in particular and the South West, in general."