The spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari reelection campaign, Festus Keyamo, has come after former President Olusegun Obasanjo following his endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2019 elections, Atiku Abubakar.
Keyamo urged Nigerians not to join Obasanjo in receiving the curse he allegedly invoked on himself over the former Vice-President.
Denying Wole Soyinka’s claims that he knelt down for Atiku in a desperate bid to secure the PDP ticket for the 2003 poll, Obasanjo had said: “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.”
But, on Thursday, Obasanjo endorsed Atiku for Nigeria’s highest office, after he (Atiku) had asked for his forgiveness.
Reacting to the endorsement, Keyamo in a statement, said, “Interestingly, just a few weeks ago, specifically on the 4th of August, 2018, Chief Obasanjo was widely reported to have said ‘God will NEVER forgive me if I support Atiku for President.’
“Whilst we acknowledge the constitutional right of the ex-president to support anyone of his choice, we draw attention of all God-fearing Nigerians to a character who would use the name of God in vain and in a flip-flop manner in just a matter of weeks. Where is the shame? Where is the honour? Where is the pride?
“When a person invokes the curse of God upon himself if he does a particular thing, like Obasanjo has done, and then deliberately does that particularly thing and calls on Nigerians to follow him to receive his curse, Nigerians must flee in the opposite direction. We urge Nigerians NOT to follow this character to receive the curse he invoked upon himself.”
Keyamo wondered why Atiku chose to beg Obasanjo, rather than present evidence that he is not guilty of the allegations levelled against him.
“However, we are bemused and amused that a character who intends to be President of Nigeria has, for the past eleven years, consistently begged for “forgiveness” from a man who has consistently and unequivocally called him a very corrupt fellow.
“We wonder what type of character would not vigorously confront his accuser with facts to show his innocence, but would rather consistently ask for “forgiveness” from him.
“The desperation to get the endorsement of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo by the PDP and its candidate is a clear sign that they want to return us to our sordid past where a few people decide who should govern us.”
Keyamo also tackled the founder of Living Faith church, David Oyedepo; Catholic bishop of Sokoto diocese, Mathew Kukah; and Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi for accompanying Abubakar to Obasanjo.
“We also note with interest the full participation of some “men of God” in the entourage of the Peoples’ Democratic Party for this political re-alignment.
“We are glad that they have publicly declared their partisan interest and urge all Nigerians to see all their previous, present and future attacks on President Buhari from their pulpits in the context of partisan politics and not in the context of nationalistic or altruistic commitment. We wish them well,” he said.
