Join APC, Yoruba group tells OBJ

By Ali Abare Abubakar

A group, Afenifere Renaissance Youth Congress (ARYG) has advised the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, to stop seeking to destroy the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and to instead declare for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The group, comprising members of the PDP in the South-west zone, equally described as not statesmanlike, Obasanjo’s alleged pastime of publicly attacking President Goodluck Jonathan when, as a former president, he has unfettered access to the Presidential Villa.

Reacting over the recent alleged attacks by Obasanjo on President Jonathan, the group leader, Mr Abimbola Owolabi, stated that it is difficult to believe that Obasanjo is still a member of the PDP.

“Obasanjo is not only denigrating the presidency, the person of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling Party, which he claims to be a member of by his constant lies, unwarranted attacks and mischievous blackmail to portray President Jonathan as weak, corrupt and dictatorial but also manifestly executing the propaganda of the APC whose members he now hobnobs with.

“These days, there is a complete sync between Obasanjo’s utterances and those of Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC spokesperson.

“After listening to General Obasanjo’s lies that President Jonathan is running a corrupt government and incapable of dealing with the insurgency problems in the North, at the launch of the auto-biography of Retired Justice Mustapha Akanbi, we have come to the conclusion that the former president does not mean well for this country and the PDP.

“How can Obasanjo who elevated the bribing of National Assembly members, especially during his ill-fated Third Term agenda, to a state policy during his regime point finger of guilt at President Jonathan?  Or does Obasanjo think that Nigerians have such a short memory as to forget how he nearly emptied the national treasury to the lawmakers in his desperate quest for an unconstitutional third term in office?

 “The same man (Obasanjo) who is now accusing Jonathan of working against democracy has been the worst enemy of democracy in the country.

“He deployed troops to Odi and leveled an entire village without achieving any meaningful results over the Niger Delta militancy only to leave the mess for the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and Jonathan (who was then the vice president) to clear.

“It was Obasanjo’s recklessness and complete disrespect for the rule of law that prompted his successor to quickly adopt rule of law as the mantra of his administration.”

ARYG further said that it was at a loss as to why an elder statesman like former President Obasanjo will be peddling lies as facts just to damage politically, President Jonathan and his party, the PDP.