As Buhari unveils African Union’s anti-corruption fight •Iyabo Obasanjo explains why she disavowed Buhari apologists
LAGOS—President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, met former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the sidelines of the ongoing African Union summit in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, with the controversy generated by last Tuesday’s statement by the former president on the incumbent not to seek re-election still gripping the polity at home. Meanwhile, the former President’s first daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, was at the weekend forced to hit back at apologists of the Buhari administration after the regime’s supporters sought to raise past but settled acrimony between the two family members. President Buhari, and Dr. Obasanjo after shaking hands, had a brief chat that lasted about two minutes, at the opening session of the 30th African Union Summit. They were subsequently joined by former military head of state, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, for a photo opportunity. The two men did not betray the tension that has gripped the polity on account of the statement issued by Dr. Obasanjo last Tuesday in which he charged the incumbent, who he supported for his first term in 2015, not to seek re-election upon failed hopes. Listen to my dad — Iyabo tells Buhari However, yesterday one of the leading public canvassers of a second term for Buhari, the Buhari Media Support Group, BMSG, denied any involvement in the recycling of the old letter written by Iyabo to her dad. “We were not involved and are totally ignorant of any such move,” a senior BMSG official told Vanguard. Aides to the President were not available for comments on the issue last night. On issues raised and FG’s reply Senator Obasanjo, who is now a university teacher in Virginia, United States, told Vanguard that she had in the strongly worded statement issued from her Virginia, United States base, flayed the Buhari administration for dodging the fundamental issues of bad governance raised in the statement issued by her father, Dr. Obasanjo, last Tuesday
Instead of drawing wisdom from the letter issued by her father, she expressed dismay at what she described as the cheap tactic of the Buhari apologists in drawing unconnected issues to run away from the “advice and admonishment of one of the most brilliant leaders to ever emerge in modern Africa.” Senator Obasanjo said: “My attention has been drawn to the republishing (in social media) of a letter from 2013 that has since been overturned by events. I am surprised that agents of the current Nigerian administration who should benefit from the advice and admonishment of one of the most brilliant leaders to ever emerge in modern Africa have resorted to a cheap tactic that further reiterates the message that they found abhorrent enough to start looking for unconnected issues to put together to make their point. “To say that Nigeria has problems is to make an understatement
. The wise should listen, wherever help and advice come from. Those who republished the old letter should have spent time to respond to the content of the said statement which, among other things, called on President Buhari to join the rank of retired elder statesmen in 2019. I would think this was appropriate and even unnecessary advice, given the serious medical problems he has had over the last few years. “I have had no connection with his administration or to the previous one after I left the Senate in 2011, and to try and use me and my name as some excuse is shameful. I agree with the contents of the open letter and like all people that wish Africa well, hope that Nigeria someday comes out of its death spiral to become a leading nation in the world. “It is tiring to continue to be part of the Nigerian conversation when there is no positive impact to it. I really do not want to be part of it, as I have found over and over again that speech and words are wasted on people who have no understanding of the responsibility on us as black people on this planet.” Fight against corruption Meanwhile, President Buhari has renewed his commitment towards the fight against corruption in Nigeria, saying there was no going back. While unveiling the AU’s anti-graft Campaign at the summit of Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU, Buhari said he was determined to fight corruption “today, tomorrow and the day after
LAGOS—President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, met former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the sidelines of the ongoing African Union summit in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, with the controversy generated by last Tuesday’s statement by the former president on the incumbent not to seek re-election still gripping the polity at home. Meanwhile, the former President’s first daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, was at the weekend forced to hit back at apologists of the Buhari administration after the regime’s supporters sought to raise past but settled acrimony between the two family members. President Buhari, and Dr. Obasanjo after shaking hands, had a brief chat that lasted about two minutes, at the opening session of the 30th African Union Summit. They were subsequently joined by former military head of state, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, for a photo opportunity. The two men did not betray the tension that has gripped the polity on account of the statement issued by Dr. Obasanjo last Tuesday in which he charged the incumbent, who he supported for his first term in 2015, not to seek re-election upon failed hopes. Listen to my dad — Iyabo tells Buhari However, yesterday one of the leading public canvassers of a second term for Buhari, the Buhari Media Support Group, BMSG, denied any involvement in the recycling of the old letter written by Iyabo to her dad. “We were not involved and are totally ignorant of any such move,” a senior BMSG official told Vanguard. Aides to the President were not available for comments on the issue last night. On issues raised and FG’s reply Senator Obasanjo, who is now a university teacher in Virginia, United States, told Vanguard that she had in the strongly worded statement issued from her Virginia, United States base, flayed the Buhari administration for dodging the fundamental issues of bad governance raised in the statement issued by her father, Dr. Obasanjo, last Tuesday
Instead of drawing wisdom from the letter issued by her father, she expressed dismay at what she described as the cheap tactic of the Buhari apologists in drawing unconnected issues to run away from the “advice and admonishment of one of the most brilliant leaders to ever emerge in modern Africa.” Senator Obasanjo said: “My attention has been drawn to the republishing (in social media) of a letter from 2013 that has since been overturned by events. I am surprised that agents of the current Nigerian administration who should benefit from the advice and admonishment of one of the most brilliant leaders to ever emerge in modern Africa have resorted to a cheap tactic that further reiterates the message that they found abhorrent enough to start looking for unconnected issues to put together to make their point. “To say that Nigeria has problems is to make an understatement
