A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Chairman of the Organization and Mobilization Committee of the party in the South West, Prince Buruji Kashamu, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of inciting Nigerians against the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Kashamu, who is involved in a long-drawn battle with the ex-president over allegations by the latter that he is a fugitive from the law in the United States of America for drug-related offences, said Mr. Obasanjo’s assessment of Jonathan’s administration as “below average” was “self-serving, unjustifiable and totally unwarranted”.
Obasanjo, had during an encounter with book writers in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as part of activities marking the popular Ake Festival last weekend, given his frank assessment of President Jonathan in office.
According to him, “His (Jonathan) performance is below average. I will not accept responsibility for his performance. There is nobody that gets such a position without being helped”.
However, Mr. Kashamu said, Sunday, that contrary to the former president’s claims, Mr. Jonathan has performed above average and deserves a second term in office.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the PDP chieftain said it was most ridiculous for Mr. Obasanjo to publicly denigrate his successors to score political points.
“If this is how he wants to regain his lost political relevance in the South West, then it would be counterproductive”, he said.
“It is utterly nauseating how he catches on the slightest opportunity to publicly cast aspersion on the President Jonathan, with the intent of inciting the people against the President and swaying public opinion against him.
“We thank God that since he turned his back on the PDP, the party has been repositioned and we have been winning elections fair and square”, he added.
Mr. Kashamu said, “It is high time Obasanjo is reminded that he is not the only former leader in this country. If he is not content with tending to his chicken and farm, at his age and level, he should commit himself to causes that will outlive him. He should be told to shed off the implacably cantankerous image that he has cut for himself and take on a more enabling character trait.”
Kashamu noted that the seed of Boko Haram insurgency being witnessed in Nigeria today was planted during Mr. Obasanjo’s administration when he allowed the introduction of “political sharia” in some northern states.
“Now, Boko Haram says it is fighting to have (the) country governed with the same Sharia criminal codes”, he said.
Mr. Kashamu listed some of the gains of the Jonathan administration to include Nigeria’s rise to become the largest economy in Africa, diversification of the economy, and improved power generation.
He appealed to Northern leaders to support the president to end the Boko Haram insurgency.
“Our respectable Northern brothers and sisters should know that the wave of insurgency in the North East is doing more harm than good to their long cherished values and common heritage, and the sooner they rally round to arrest it, the better it would be for them and indeed all Nigerians”, he said.