Elder statesman, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has finally clarified the viral reports claiming that he endorsed former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, for president in the forthcoming 2019 elections.
The 81-year-old who is still very active and opinionated in Nigeria’s political sphere said God will never forgive him if he backs Atiku’s presidential ambition.
In an interview with Premium Times, Obasanjo said he has no personal grudges against Atiku but only backs anyone “working for the good of Nigeria”.
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Obasanjo was quoted as saying,
“How can I be on the same side with Atiku? To do what?
“If I support Atiku for anything, God will not forgive me. If I do not know, yes. But once I know, Atiku can never enjoy my support.
“It is not a question of working with or not working with an individual. If you are working for the good of Nigeria, I am working with you. If you are not working for the good of Nigeria, it does not matter who you are, I am not working with you.
“I do not have personal grudges with anyone. If you do not do well for Nigeria, you do not do well for all of us.”
He added that his opposition to Abubakar’s ambition is only within the political sector and does not translate to other spheres of their lives.
“If my children are getting married, he has sent representatives. If his children are getting married, I have sent representatives.
“That is social. That is not political.”
The elder statesman who had settled his scores with the People Democratic Party said a lot of people do not understand his modus operandi.
Obasanjo said he knows Atiku very well and “I have mentioned my position with Atiku. my position has not changed”.
Atiku served as vice-president to Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007. He aspired to succeed Obasanjo in 2003 but the elder statesman went ahead to complete another term.
By 2007 when Obasanjo’s second term ended, both men had fallen apart.
Recall that WuzupNaija had reported that Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, had revealed that Obasanjo knelt down to beg Atiku not to contest against him ahead of the 2003 presidential election.
The playwright further said that Obasanjo’s denials that he had no hand in the failed 3rd term bid in 2007 were untrue.
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