Former president
Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed fears over speculations that President
Goodluck Jonathan could likely hand over power to the military come May 29,
2015.
Obasanjo made these fears known on March 24, Tuesday in
his Abeokuta home, when wife of the presidential candidate of the All
Progressives Congress (APC), Hajia Aisha Bubari, and the Southwest women
leaders and spouses APC governors visited him.
According to The Nation, the former president said
rumours of an interim national government was raising cause for concern, adding
that military rule is no longer fashionable as it is unconstitutional.
Obasanjo also warned that the
international community was watching Nigeria closely in respect of the
forthcoming general elections, saying as the largest country in Africa, Nigeria
should be a model to others and also set good examples for the continent.
He said: “I do hope we will get things right. A lot of
rumours are flying around, I think we have gone away from the rumour of Interim
Government because that is not in our constitution, I hope we will soon go away
from the rumour of handing over to the military because the military is not
meant to run affairs of a nation in terms of running government..
“And the Intentional community
will not condone it, particularly African Union where we have a situation, we
have said and it is part and parcel of the constituting act of the African
Union, any government that is brought about not on the basis of the
constitution will not be accepted and tolerated and will not be a member of the
AU until that government is dismantled.”
He also berated politicians for
harping on issues of less importance while more burning problems were
left unaddressed.
According to him: “Unfortunately, issues that should have been
the main item of our campaign were not discussed. We have serious issues of
security, economy, unemployment, youth unemployment infrastructure etc. These
are issues among others that I believe campaign of those who are interested in
the present and the future of this country should be directed at.
“How are we going to get them,
what are we going to do, not trivial issues of certificate, no certificate, not
trivial issues of when somebody is talking about someone and whether one is a
Nigerian and not.
“This is what they had in Cote
d’Ivore that led them into almost a very serious problem, not issue of
religion, tribe, not issue of section but issues of unity of this country and
the hate campaign that we have embarked upon now, I hope this will be the last
time in the history of this country that we will have this type of campaign of
hatred or division.
“I think the emphasis should be
on what unite us, not what divide us and when I look at the faces of you ladies
here, it is very difficult for me to know. I think we should emphasise on
things that unite us, we should talk more on what will make this
country not a just country but a great country.
“And that is the challenge
before Nigerians today and particularly before those who are aspiring either at
the state level or at the national level, how can this country be made great
country, God has given us all we need.”
Obasanjo also called for more
participation of women in politics, noting that women had a crucial role to
play in nation building.
“And I want to thank you
because you women you have a role to play, and I mean that, when things are
going wrong, if women don’t act, things will continue to go wrong because you
have ability to act, the men who invariably make things to go wrong are your
fathers, your husbands, your sons, you sons-in-laws.
“With your husbands, you can have
pillow talk but when things are going wrong and you do not talk or act, you
will also be the greatest victim at the end of the day because it will have
effect on your children and would have a direct effect on you and all of us.
Mrs. Buhari lauded the former President for being a true nationalist,
adding that Obasanjo often traversed party lines and primordial sentiments
while addressing issues affecting the country.
Culled: Naij.com
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