Bolaji Akinyemi, a
former minister of external affairs, has faulted the New Year message of former
President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Akinyemi spoke on Sunday during an interview on Channels
Television.
Obasanjo, in
his New Year message, declared his support for Peter Obi,
presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), ahead of the 2023 general
election.
The former president urged youths to be more deliberate about the choices they make, adding that the 2023 elections should not be taken for granted.
‘OBASANJO IS PART
OF NIGERIA’S PROBLEM’
Akinyemi, a professor of political science, said the former
president is “part of the foundation of the problems” bedevilling the country,
adding that Obasanjo should have stayed away from politics at end of his term
as president.
The professor dismissed the comment that the focus should be
on Obasanjo’s message rather than his personality or records while in office.
“Some of us believe he
(referring to Obasanjo) is also part of the foundation of the problems that we
have in this country,” he said.
“One of the things I had said is once you have occupied the
post of president and served your term, go home, be like General Gowon, General
Abdulsalami. Just be quiet, you have had your term, you have had your innings,
to use a cricket language. Let others get on.
“But for you to create problems for us and then you come
back and present yourself as a problem solver, I find it difficult to swallow.
“I know there are people who say, ignore the messenger,
focus on the message. I’m sorry, I’m a political scientist That doesn’t rub
with me as a political scientist. I’m sure whoever came up with that must be a
politician, who does not want people to look back into his own record.”
‘HIS RECORD DOES NOT ENCOURAGE ME’
Also speaking, Usman Bugaje, a former member of the house of
representatives, questioned Obasanjo’s probity to counsel Nigerians on who to
vote for, stressing that the former president tried to extend his tenure by
attempting to change the constitution during his time as president.
The former lawmaker said Nigerians should be advised on
issues that must guide them to vote for a particular candidate, adding that the
country needs serious leadership.
“First, former President Obasanjo is entitled to his
opinion. All of us are entitled to our opinions. He is a free citizen. He can
make his choices public and try to persuade those we want to persuade,” he
said.
“I would have been
interested in his criteria — how he arrived at this. Objective criteria. But as
Professor Akinyemi said, you don’t just look at what he is saying, you look at
his own records.
“I’m afraid his record doesn’t quite encourage me to take
whatever he says objectively. I was in the national assembly when he tried to
extend his tenure by changing the constitution. We had to stand up to him in
that respect.
“I won’t find him as
the kind of person who I can trust in some of the things that he says. But He
is free to say those things.”
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