“I have had some little experience about this country. I was a military head of state and I was also a civilian president, so what is left? So, if I talk, I know what I’m saying. Whoever wants should listen to me and whoever feels otherwise, may turn a deaf ear. But when I’m talking, I’m talking with my understanding and intellect. I’m drawing from my experience and from what I’ve learnt with others and from other countries and fellow eminent citizens of the world that I relate with. I have no apprehension over this coming elections. I have no fears over the forthcoming elections.
“Good governance comes from
voting, from selection of leaders. It is now left to you to decide who you cast
your vote for because if you throw away your votes and tomorrow you are saying
good governance, once you throw away your votes you have lost out. That is one.
Find out the track records of achievements of those you want to vote for. What
have they achieved in the past and not what they have said.”
Concerning his membership
of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Obasanjo said: “I am still in the Peoples
Democratic Party, though not active. With the kind of people and behaviours I
see in the party, I don’t think I can stand before God and defend them.
“Nigeria does not deserve
the position it finds itself today. Our nation is plagued with insecurity,
corruption, economic downturn, and impunity in doing thing. If man cannot
arrest you, God will arrest you. The position you are now, God puts you there. If
you think lies can keep you there, continue. If you think bad people can keep
you there, continue. If you think its money, continue. But remember God does
not sleep nor slumber. A leader must be forward looking and plan ahead.
“At the beginning of last year,
the budget was based on $78 per barrel. That year, the government spent more on
recurrent expenditure and a little on capital expenditure”.
The former President,
however, ruled out the possibility of Nigeria disintegrating after the
election, saying, he had been told that he would be the last President when he
was contesting the election in 2003.
He recalled that, “1964
election led to ‘Wetie’. I saw people being slaughtered; there was 1966 coup,
the 1966 pogrom and the civil war. We survived it. Then, Abacha came, we
survived it. When I was about to contest in 1999, I was told that it was a
deceit like IBB and Abacha did. They said that Abubakar Abdulsalami was also
out to deceive us. Some people said after me, there would be no Nigeria again,
but, after me, there had been two presidents. This God is God of Nigeria”.
Last year, Obasanjo repeatedly lambasted the current government, accusing the president of promoting and tolerating corruption, and failing to provide security for Nigerians. But Obasanjo, yesterday, said he was not fighting the President, nor was Jonathan fighting him. He said he was more concerned about the interest of the country, and, therefore, cared less about criticisms.
“I have no grudges against Jonathan and I think Jonathan equally has no grudges against me. I’m not quarrelling with Jonathan. All I know is that whatever is good for Nigeria, that I’m ready to die for.
“I emphasize that whatever is good for Nigeria is what I’m ready to defend with my life. Whoever I emphasize, whoever says he would not do anything good to Nigeria, even if he says he’s ready to go ‘konko below’, I’m ready to square it up with such a person. I say again, whoever that person may be, I want you to get that correctly. If this country is going to change for the better, it would start from the top and if it’s going to be otherwise, it would start from the top, too,” the former president stressed.
Vanguard
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