Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has washed his hands off media reports to the effect that he had commenced moves to float new party ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The elder statesman said he was no longer ready to get involved in partisan politics.
This was contained in a statement on Monday, titled, ‘Obasanjo Not Forming Political Party’. It was signed by the ex-president’s Special Assistant on Media Affairs, Kehinde Akinyemi.
Akinyemi said his principal, who is currently in Kabul, Afghanistan, as a guest of President Ashraf Ghani, has declared that the report was false, maintaining that there was “no plan to float a new political party now or in near future”.
Obasanjo was quoted as saying, “In my part of the world, when you say goodnight in a place, you do not go back there and say good evening. The one who reported that may need to visit Yaba Left. And those who believe it can believe that their mothers are men.
“I’m done with partisan politics but by my position in Nigeria and in Africa and without being immodest and indeed in the world my door must be opened and it is open to any individual or group of individuals who want to seek my opinion, view or advice on any issue or matter and I will respond to the best of my ability, without being part of that individual or group.”
The statement added, “If anything, Chief Obasanjo’s political party today is the party of Nigerians facing insecurity, unemployment, hunger, poverty, and various other challenging issues. It is the party of Nigeria that must be saved, kept wholesomely united in peace, security, equity, development and progress.
“Let those who want to use the back door to force Chief Obasanjo to return to partisan politics respect his choice to remain a non-partisan statesman. On his part, the former President will continue to perform his role as a statesman focused on providing counsel, support, or solutions wherever possible in Nigeria, Africa and indeed the world.”
Obasanjo was Nigeria’s democratically elected President between May 29, 1999, and May 29, 2007. He had won the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party upon Nigeria’s return to democratic rule after years of despotic military rule. Before then, Obasanjo was Nigeria’s military head of state between February 13, 1976, and September 30, 1979.
Since he left office in 2007, Obasanjo, who has been based at his residence in Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State, has made his voice heard on major national and international issues ranging from insecurity to education and economy.
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