Garba Shehu, the
presidential spokesperson, has explained why the presidency reacted to the New
Year message of Olusegun Obasanjo.
Shehu spoke on Thursday during an interview on ‘Real Talk
with Kike’.
On Sunday, former President Obasanjo, in his New Year message, criticised the present
administration under President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that “the last seven
and half years have turned out not to be the best” for Nigeria.
In the message, the former president also endorsed the candidacy of Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) for the presidential election.
Reacting to
Obasanjo’s message, the presidency, in a statement signed by Shehu, had
said Obasanjo is jealous because Buhari is ahead of him in terms of national
development.
He also said Obasanjo does not possess the moral credibility
to criticise the Buhari administration, adding that the former president
“destabilised internal democracy” and “misused political power” when he was in
office.
Speaking during the Thursday interview, Shehu said the
former president “failed” the records and achievements of the Buhari-led
administration.
“He didn’t do just
that. If he had chosen to endorse Obi as his candidate, that is perfectly in
order. It is his own choice to do. Nobody would have quarreled with him,” he
said.
“We didn’t come into it but for the fact that he has failed
the records of our administration, and for this reason, we thought he needed a
reply.
“Ordinarily, we would have allowed Mr Obasanjo to just say
whatever he wants to say; it never really hampers the success and achievement
of the Buhari-led administration in any meaningful way.
“The records have to be set and the facts must be stated as
they were. This is why we had to respond to him. Otherwise, we may not have
done so.”
Shehu also said Buhari remains committed to supporting Bola
Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The president will vote for the APC candidate and that is
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. There is absolutely no doubt about this. The
president is a party man,” he said.
“He has been brought to where he is as a party man. He must
be loyal to the party and speak to the decision of the party to put forward
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
“It is going to be a secret ballot and I hope the president
will do one thing he has not done before — after thumbprinting, display his
ballot paper for Nigerians to see.
“It is going to be
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. There is no doubt about it.”
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