Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says he is done with partisan politics, noting that claims making the rounds in the media that he is planning to float a new political party ahead of the 2023 general elections are false.
“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,” Chief Obasanjo was quoted as saying in a statement by his special assistant on media affairs, Kehinde Akinyemi.
The former president who stated this in Kabul, Afghanistan, as a guest of President Ashraf Ghani, warned those who want to use the back door to force him to return to partisan politics to respect his choice to remain a non-partisan statesman.
He insisted that he will continue to perform his role with a focus on providing counsel, support, or solutions wherever possible in Nigeria, Africa, and indeed the world.
Below is the former president’s full communique as sent out on Monday.
The attention of former President of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has been drawn to unfounded report published in the Vanguard Newspaper with the headline: “New Party Ahead of 2023: Obasanjo picks 3ex-govs as coordinators, meeting July 13” and dated July 4, 2021.
Obasanjo, who is currently in Kabul, Afghanistan, as a guest of President Ashraf Ghani has declared that this report, written by one, Soni Daniel, is false, maintaining that there was no plan to float a new political party now or in near future.
He said that the fabricated story hardly comes as a surprise because he has, for some time now, observed with bewilderment the efforts by some people to drag him into their political games.
Upon hearing of this latest fabricated report, Chief Obasanjo said “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”.
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 which 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.
Signed:
Kehinde Akinyemi
Special Assistant on Media Affairsb