Festus Keyamo, spokesman of the
reelection campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari, has asked Nigerians not to
join ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo in receiving the curse he allegedly invoked
on himself, over former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
While denying the claim of Wole
Soyinka that he knelt down for Atiku in a desperate bid to secure the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the 2003 poll, Obasanjo had said: “How can I
be on the same side with Atiku? To do what? If I support Atiku for anything,
God will not forgive me. If I do not know, yes. But once I know, Atiku can
never enjoy my support.”
However, on Thursday, Obasanjo
endorsed his former deputy ahead of next year’s presidential election, after he
asked for his forgiveness.
Reacting to this, Keyamo in a
statement, said “Interestingly, just a few weeks ago, specifically on the 4th
of August, 2018, Chief Obasanjo was widely reported to have said ‘God will
NEVER forgive me if I support Atiku for President.’
“Whilst we acknowledge the
constitutional right of the ex-president to support anyone of his choice, we
draw attention of all God-fearing Nigerians to a character who would use the
name of God in vain and in a flip-flop manner in just a matter of weeks. Where
is the shame? Where is the honour? Where is the pride?
“When a person invokes the curse
of God upon himself if he does a particular thing, like Obasanjo has done, and
then deliberately does that particularly thing and calls on Nigerians to follow
him to receive his curse, Nigerians must flee in the opposite direction. We
urge Nigerians NOT to follow this character to receive the curse he invoked
upon himself.”
Keyamo wondered why Atiku chose
to beg Obasanjo, rather than present evidence that he is not guilty of the
allegations levelled against him.
“However, we are bemused and
amused that a character who intends to be President of Nigeria has, for the
past eleven years, consistently begged for “forgiveness” from a man who has
consistently and unequivocally called him a very corrupt fellow.
“We wonder what type of character
would not vigorously confront his accuser with facts to show his innocence, but
would rather consistently ask for “forgiveness” from him.
“The desperation to get the
endorsement of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo by the PDP and its candidate is a clear
sign that they want to return us to our sordid past where a few people decide
who should govern us.
“In 2014/2015, President
Muhammadu Buhari and his team, out of respect and convention, paid courtesy
calls on prominent individuals and statesmen in the course of their campaigns
when they visited cities in which these individuals lived. However, Nigerians
should note that President Buhari was NEVER reported to have groveled and
“begged” ANYONE for forgiveness, just to be endorsed as a Presidential
candidate. Ultimately, he relied on the people of Nigeria to decide his fate.
President Buhari would continue to rely on the endorsement of the people of
Nigeria to be re-elected,” he added.
Keyamo also tackled David
Oyedepo, founder of Living Faith Tabernacle, Mathew Kukah, Catholic bishop of
Sokoto diocese; and Ahmad Gumi, Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, for accompanying
Abubakar to Obasanjo.
“We also note with interest the
full participation of some “men of God” in the entourage of the Peoples’
Democratic Party for this political re-alignment.
“We are glad that they have
publicly declared their partisan interest and urge all Nigerians to see all
their previous, present and future attacks on President Buhari from their
pulpits in the context of partisan politics and not in the context of
nationalistic or altruistic commitment. We wish them well,” he said.
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what did you call your self ,,,do you forget that the man MB was given the chance by GOD to avoid bloodshed ,DO forget history we know our president as far back when he was a member of the supreme military council, now he has been rejected because he allow people that speak lies to be his kitchen cabinet
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