Chief Charles Idahosa, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state on Friday said former president Olusegun Obasanjo has no moral justification dictating to President Muhammadu Buhari on whether to seek re-election or not.
Speaking in an interview with INDEPENDENT, Idahosa, who was a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it is unfortunate that Nigerians are still allowing Obasanjo to hold them to ransom and dictate to them who governs them years after leaving office.
Describing the ex-president as a coward who went into hiding shortly after the assassination of Murtala Muhammed in 1976, Idahosa said corruption in Nigeria blossomed under Obasanjoâs regime as he allowed the younger officers who made him Head of St tate against his wish unfettered access to the nationâs treasury.
âI think it is most unfortunate that in a country where the percentage of illiteracy is very high that is where people like Obasanjo thrive. To me, it is very depressing, irritating and annoyingâ.
âObasanjo is the least qualified to advise President Muhammadu Buhari. Obasanjo is so irrelevant in this country and I find it irritating when I see him parading himself as a kingmaker, who years after leaving office still wants to decide for Nigerians who governs themâ.
âIf Nigerians continue to submit themselves to the dictates of Obasanjo, then we still have a long way to go. Obasanjo was a military of Head of state for four years. He was a coward. He was afraid of becoming Head of State after Murtala Mohammedâs assassinationâ.
âI remember his speech âAgainst My Personal Wish and Desireâ. He had no programme for this country because he was afraid he was going to be killed. The northerners at that time did not want a situation where they will be accused of dominating power. With Murtalaâs death, the next in command is Obasanjo, followed by Danjuma and YarâAdua. How will they explain to the country why Obasanjo didnât succeed Murtalaâ
âSo, they forced him to become Head of State and that was why he said âagainst my personal wish and desireâ. When the Murtala coup happened, I knew where he was hiding himself off Queens Drive. My father-in-law had a property there and we knew Obasanjo was hiding there after the coupâ.
âAfter he was made head of state against his wish, and because he was afraid of being killed, Obasanjo just left the country for them to loot. That is where the problem of corruption in this country started from. He was just head of state in name while the younger officers who install him were ruling the country. That was why Obasanjo hurriedly handed over power to a civilian president in 1979 to save his neck. He did nothing of benefit for this country during that periodâ.
Idahosa said Obasanjoâs letter advising President Buhari not seek reelection is hypocritical and self- serving adding that the ex-president not only serve the constitutionally mandated two terms but still lobbied members of the National Assembly to allow him do a third term.
âObasanjo came back to power in 1999 and did four years. After his first term because of his dismal performance, the governors were so disenchanted and opposed his second term. I saw him crawl on his knees at Rivers Governors Lodge before Atiku begging for second term. A man that was kneeling down and begging his deputy is now the one writing letter to Buhari asking him not to seek second termâ.
âAfter second term, this same Obasanjo started sharing N50m each to National Assembly members to allow him do a third term. Though he has denied it now, he said he needed third term to complete most of his projects that the two terms of eight years is not enough. What he cannot do in eight years, he wanted Buhari to do in two and half yearsâ he said.
