Obasanjo reacts to military takeover rumour before Saturday’s election

With just four days to the nation’s Presidential
election, former President Olusegun Obasanjo on
Tuesday expressed concern over speculations of
likely handing over of power to the military by
President Goodluck Jonathan.
The former President said this 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.
Obasanjo noted that aside the fact that military
rule is no longer fashionable as it is
unconstitutional, the Intentional community, he
added, would also not condone it, particularly
African Union (AU) where it has been agreed that
any government brought about not on the basis of
the constitution should not stand.
According to him, a military coup anywhere on
African soil would neither be accepted nor
tolerated by the AU member countries until such
government is “dismantled.”
He warned that the whole world is watching
Nigeria 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.
The former President urged Nigeria not to draw the
rest of African countries backward, lamenting the
campaign of hate and division being engaged by
those seeking elective offices.
He also charged women to take active part in the
redemptive mission for Nigeria, adding; “I am
happy to hear directly from you, Mrs. Buhari that
the campaign so far has gone very well. May be I
should say one or two things about the campaign-
I do hope that this week’s elections, and the one
coming in a couple of weeks after that, should
provide the right lessons to learn from.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“We have the goodwill of many people, I watched,
last night, President Obama talking about our
constitution, I watched out brother from Ghana the
current Chairman of ECOWAS talked about our
constitution, they are all interested, they all wish
us well, should we wish ourselves anything less?”
Earlier, 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.
She said, “Baba exercises his prowess as a father,
as a former head of state of Nigeria twice, very few
Nigerias have the opportunity to rule the country
twice, we are here today to show our appreciation
the way you handle things as a statesman and a
nationalist.”

The Nation