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.
It
is obvious from Chief Obasanjo’s serial vituperations against President
Jonathan who is doing his best to positively transform Nigeria for the
benefit of all of its people that he has willfully chosen to close his
eyes to the present administration’s good works and intentions. For
reasons best known to him, Chief Obasanjo has set his mind on regime
change by fair or foul means.
Otherwise,
it would be completely senseless, irrational and out of place for Chief
Obasanjo, who still claims to belong to the same party as the
President, to accuse President Jonathan of plotting to win the
rescheduled presidential elections by “hook or crook” and planning to
plunge the nation into crisis if he loses the election.
For
the record, President Jonathan has no such intention and will continue
to give the greatest possible support to the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant federal agencies to
ensure that the rescheduled elections are successfully conducted.
Indeed,
it is not President Jonathan who remains faithful to his oath of office
who is trying to plunge Nigeria into crisis, but Chief Obasanjo who is
scheming to plunge the country into chaos in pursuit of a selfish and
highly egocentric agenda.
Chief
Obasanjo’s plot with others within and outside the country to thwart
the general elections and foist an unconstitutional Interim National
Government, which he hopes to head on the nation is well known to us,
but by the Grace of God Almighty, his odious plan to return to power
through the back door will fail woefully.
We
know very well that it is in pursuit of this nefarious plot that the
former President continues to sow the seeds of discord and crises in the
polity by purporting to remain in the ruling party while openly
consorting with the opposition, endorsing its candidates and predicting
victory for opposition candidates in a manner most unbecoming of a
supposed elder statesman. Thankfully, the vast majority of Nigerians who
are patriotic and right-thinking cannot be fooled by Chief Obasanjo’s
antics.
We
urge them to be assured that President Jonathan's commitment to
democracy in all its ramifications remains constant and that he will
never be party to the use of any unlawful means to remain in office or
gain political advantage over his opponents.
The
President stands by his commitment, which he reaffirmed on national
television last Wednesday that on his watch, all elections in Nigeria,
will be free, fair and credible, and that all certified election results
will be respected. As President Jonathan has also assured the nation,
the rescheduling of the general elections was in the best interest of
the nation and was never driven by any ulterior motive on the part of
government as Chief Obasanjo and others have alleged.
President
Jonathan will continue to put his best efforts into giving Nigeria
quality leadership and will not be distracted from his purpose by
unwarranted and needless criticism by persons who ought to know better.
Reuben Abati Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) -
Culled from NTA News Blog
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