‘Obasanjo is capable of derailing our democracy and creating chaos’ – Femi-Fani Kayode

Presidential spokesman, who worked in the government of Obasanjo while the latter was in office, said the claims of the former president are “serious and grave”.

Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation defined the statements made by the ex-president as irresponsible.

He said: “He has raised issues and made assertions that are capable of derailing our democracy and creating chaos in the land. It is vital that we consider his motives for this latest outburst and his credentials as a leader and an elder statesman.

“The truth is that he knows that President Goodluck Jonathan will win next month’s presidential election and that is why he wants to destroy the credibility of the whole process right from the outset,” Mr. Fani-Kayode said.

Fani-Kayode added what former president was trying to say in his latest commentaries was that if President Jonathan wins the election must have been rigged right from the outset.

“This is not only wrong but it is also unfair and uncharitable. If President Obasanjo has any evidence to prove his weighty allegations, he ought to present it before the Council of State and take it up there,” he continued.

He also advised Obasanjo to give any evidence he has to the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).

According to the Premium Times, Mr. Fani-Kayode while responding to the “Gbagbo treatment” accusation by the former president, spokesperson said incumbent president was the one who made Laurent Gbagbo leave the office when he tried to muzzle an over stay.

“President Obasanjo spoke about President Laurent Gbagbo and he claimed that President Jonathan was attempting to do a Gbagbo in Nigeria. The question that must be put to him is this: ”who got Gbagbo out?” Was it not Jonathan’s government that played a key role in ensuring that democracy was fully established in the Ivory Coast and did he not play a key role in ensuring that the Gbagbo plan to ”stay in power forever plan” did not work?

“If anyone doubts this they should ask President Alhassan Outtara of Cote D’Ivoire the role that Mr. Jonathan and Nigeria played in helping to restore democracy and stability back to his country,” he said.

Jonathan’s spokesperson also blamed Chief Obasanjo of working for the former Ivory Coast leader during the Nigeria’s constitutional crisis.

He said: “Obasanjo does not want genuine democracy. He only pretends to want it. What he wants is control and a stooge in power. It does not matter what type of government it is as long as he controls it and his puppet heads it. It can be a military government, a civilian one, a democratic one, an interim government or a government of national unity.

“To Obasanjo it does not matter as long as he can control it. That is his objective. That is why he hates Jonathan so much and that is why he wishes to stop him at all costs.”

Former President had on Saturday faulted President Jonathan of working towards a controversial poll and probably, exit from office, the same way former Ivorian president, Laurent Gbagbo, did in his country.

In his earlier respond, the president accused Obasanjo of protecting an ambition of heading an interim government after initiating a constitutional crisis in Nigeria.

It should be noted that Obasanjo had finally endorsed the opposition presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari. But later former president said he will support the strong president, not naming anybody.