Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo February 14 alleged that Goodluck Jonathan plotted to scuttle elections as he fears the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
Specifically, GEJ’s fear is that ex military Head of state will send him to jail if elected.
He made this known while briefing journalists yesterday at his Hilltop presidential residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Punch reports.
“I believe the President’s fear is particularly motivated by whom he sees as his likely successor, that is, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. I believe people would have been telling him that Buhari is a hard man; he will fight corruption and he (Jonathan) may end up in jail if not in the grave. I think people would have told him that sort of thing and he is not the only one afraid of Buhari.”
Regarding Buhari’s candidacy, and his plans of dealing with corruption, Obasanjo said:
“If he has not learnt his lessons, he would be probably the most unlearning human being. Now if he has learnt his lessons, he will know that you do not fight corruption by putting people in jail for 200 years. This was done by my predecessor in office, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar. He recovered over $750m from Abacha’s estate without putting anybody in jail and without harming or hurting anybody.
“When I took over, we recovered over $1.25bn from the same Abacha without hurting anybody and without harming anybody. What is rather unfortunate is the fact that our lawyer who is still alive, who was chasing this money all over the world, said to us that there was still well over $1bn to be recovered from the Abacha estate.”
OBJ compared the possible development of polls situation in Nigeria with the one that took place in Ivory Coast and the country’s former leader Laurent Gbagbo.
“President Jonathan has a grand plan to ensure that he wins the election by hook or crook and if he loses, he scuttles it and brings chaos and confusion in the whole country.
“It looks to me that the President is trying to play (Laurent) Gbagbo. Gbagbo was the former President of Cote d’Ivoire and Gbagbo made sure he postponed the election in his country until he was sure he would win and then allowed the election to take place. He got an inconclusive election in the first ballot and I believe this is the sort of thing Nigeria may fall into if I am right in what I observed as the grand plan.
“Then in the run-off, Gbagbo lost with 8 per cent behind (Alassane) Quattara and then refused to hand over. All reasonable persuasion and pleading was rebuffed by him and he unleashed horror in that country until nemesis caught up with him. I believe that we may be seeing the repeat of Gbabgo or what I called Gbagbo saga here in Nigeria, I hope not.”
Commenting on the decision to postpone polls by 6 weeks announced February 7 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the politician recalled how world leaders confronted him over political developments in the country
“I was away because I had a number of assignments abroad which took me to Morocco, Munich, Nairobi, London and New Delhi. Exactly a week today, when we were in Munich for what they called the Munich security conferences annual event, everyone in the security community was there.
“I refused to make any categorical statement on this issue because I wanted to come back home and learn what actually transpired and what was going on, and it turned out to be a forced decision on the INEC, because it was alleged that the security chiefs were unable to provide security and as a result, the Chairman of INEC had to postpone the elections, in accordance with the dictates of the so-called security chiefs.
“For me, that was a bad precedent for democracy in Nigeria. It meant it doesn’t matter what preparation or lack of preparation any electoral body could make in Nigeria, the final decision on whether election will take place on the day scheduled for it lies in the domains of the security, it is a sad day for democracy in Nigeria.”
Obasanjo also lamented over Jonathan denying knowledge of the polls shift during the Presidential Media Chat.
“It was even made worse when the President in the media chat on the 11th of this month claimed not to have knowledge or not to have authorised it. I get worried, very worried that if the President of Nigeria is not in charge of security, maintenance of law and order and such a decision can be taken behind him, assuming that it is true, then the President must be reigning and not ruling.”
In conclusion, Obasanjo, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urged Jonathan not to destroy democracy in Nigeria, but strengthen it.
On the same day the Presidency issued a statement in which OBJ was accused of plotting to form an unconstitutional Interim National Government and to become its leader.
The document by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, was published on the official’s website. See the text in full below:
“We find the false claims and allegations reportedly made against President Goodluck Jonathan by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday in Abeokuta very odious and repugnant.
“As we have had cause to say before, it is most regrettable indeed that a man like Chief Obasanjo, who should know better, chooses to repeatedly, wantonly, and maliciously impugn the integrity of a sitting President of his country for the primary purpose of self-promotion.
-Naij
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