Obasanjo tell us Why is not Active In PDP
Obasanjo, a former Chairman Board of Trustees of the PDP who
stated he holds no grudge against anyone made this known, yesterday in
a statement issued to newsmen in Abeokuta.
Obasanjo, however, said he had never left PDP and will never leave
as it was wrong for the party leaders to be inviting him back to the
PDP, describing it as a great misrepresentation.
He said his being passive in the party was based on “principle,
morality, honour, integrity, commitment and character which are
paramount.
Obasanjo said: “Last week when I was in South Africa as the
chairman of AU Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan, I received
avalanche of news and cacophony of appeals and pleadings from some
quarters of PDP leadership.
“There are misunderstandings and misrepresentations which some of
those appeals and pleas manifested; hence this explanation from me.
Talking of inviting me back to PDP is wrong and it is a great
misrepresentation as I have never left PDP and I will never leave PDP.
I have said it before and I will say it again, I rose to become
the President of Nigeria on the platform of PDP and for that reason
alone, I will remain a card-carrying and ward-active member of PDP for
as long as I have to be a political party member.
“Secondly, nobody has personally offended me as a result of my
membership of PDP. If, however, anybody or group feels offended by my
continued membership, I will offer an unreserved apology but continue to
remain in the Party.
I have had occasions to say to the President, the Senate
president and the Party chairman separately that I have no quarrel with
any individual or group in the Party. There are, for me, issues of
principle, morality, honour, integrity, commitment and character which
are paramount.
“For instance, as a former President of Nigeria, the chairman of
West Africa Commission on Drug and a member of Global Commission on
Drug, I cannot accept that the zonal leader of my political party and,
worse still in my zone, will be an indicted drug baron wanted in
America.
How do I explain that to friends outside Nigeria? This is only
one of the many issues that I have pointed and still pointing out. I
have national and international standard to maintain and reputation to
keep and sustain. For these reasons, I opted to remain active only at
the ward level of the Party till the leadership does the needful. But
under no condition will my commitment to Nigeria be diminished.
“And, for me, it is commitment to Nigeria first and any other
commitment can only follow in second or third place. Where any other
commitment is in tandem with what I see and understand as commitment to
Nigeria, such other commitment will share a pride of place with Nigeria.
I must hasten to thank the President, the Senate president and
the Chairman of PDP with whom, at their instances, these issues have
been discussed and laid to rest. My interest and commitment to Nigeria
go beyond partisan politics.
“Today, Nigeria needs all hands on deck to deal with our pressing
problems of security including the issue of Chibok girls, widening
inequality, infrastructure, impunity, corruption, poverty and youth
education, skill-acquisition, empowerment and employment. These are
issues of concern to most Nigerians. We all need to join hands to move
Nigeria forward. I don’t need to be begged for that.
“Rather, I beg and appeal to those who are begging me to realize
that we must put Nigeria’s interest above politics – party or personal –
otherwise, we will all be judged at the bar of history if not the bar
of current affairs. In addition, we must preserve, sustain and deepen
democracy and democratic practices.”
On October 8, it was reported that the leadership
of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) went to begthe former President
of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, in Abuja for forgiveness and asked him to
come back to the party.
PDP Leaders include National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, Senate president, David Mark and former
governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
“All of us must beg Obasanjo to forgive us. We need to beg him.
He is very prayerful and we need to ask him to forgive us so that we can
be forgiven. We are your children. We have made mistakes and baba,
please forgive us. Come and lead us. We are your followers and we assure
you that we are all good boys and girls. We have sinned. Baba please
forgive us.”
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