Obi: Obasanjo’s endorsement worthless, Tinubu won’t lose sleep – APC

This is as Onanuga said the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, won’t lose sleep over the former President’s “worthless” endorsement of the former Anambra State Governor.

This comes after Obasanjo, in his New Year message to Nigerians on Sunday, January 1, 2023, described Obi as his mentee, adding that the Labour Party candidate had an edge over other contestants in the presidential election race.

The ex-President noted that, even though none of the candidates is a saint, the Labour Party flag-bearer possesses the better understanding, knowledge, and discipline, required of the next Nigerian president when compared to others.

In his reaction via a statement on Sunday, Onanuga described Obasanjo as a paperweight with no political goodwill anywhere in Nigeria to make anyone win a councillorship election let alone a presidential election.

The statement partly read: “We read with amusement the endorsement of Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate by former president Olusegun Obasanjo in his New Year message on Sunday.

“Following calls by journalists from various media houses who asked for our reaction, we decided to make this preliminary statement, though we didn’t consider the so-called endorsement to be of any value.

“We respect the democratic right of former President Obasanjo to support and endorse any candidate of his choice in any election.

“Except that he made it known formally in his new year message, any discerning political watcher in Nigeria knows that Chief Obasanjo’s preference for Obi is expected.

“He had earlier stated his position at various public events, the last being at the 70th birthday anniversary of Chief John Nwodo, former President of Ohaneze Ndigbo in Enugu.

“We make bold to say that our party and candidate, Tinubu, will not lose sleep over Obasanjo’s move, as Obasanjo is notorious for always opposing progressive political forces, as he did against MKO Abiola in 1993.

“The endorsement is actually worthless because the former president does not possess any political goodwill or leverage anywhere in Nigeria to make anyone win a councillorship election let alone win a presidential election. He is a political paperweight.

“He is also not a democrat anyone should be proud to be associated with.

“We recall that in 2003 and 2007 general elections, when he was a sitting President, Obasanjo used all the coercive instruments of the State at his disposal to railroad people into elective offices against the will of Nigerians as expressed at the polls.

“In 2007, he declared the polls a do-or-die affair after he failed in his bid to amend our constitution to have a third term.

“From our records, former president Obasanjo has not successfully made anyone win election in Nigeria since then.

“Not even in Ogun State can anyone rely on his support or endorsement to become a governor or councillor.”

Onanuga expresses pity for Obi: The campaign council media director further stated that the APC was confident that Obasanjo could not win his polling unit and ward in Abeokuta for Obi in the forthcoming election.

The statement concluded: “Chief Obasanjo’s endorsement is not a political currency Mr. Peter Obi can spend anywhere in Nigeria because he is not a political force, even in his part of the country.

“Chief Obasanjo similarly endorsed the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in 2019 against the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). Atiku was defeated by Buhari with a wide margin in the election.

“History will repeat itself in February as Tinubu will equally beat Obi by a large margin.

“We take particular notice of the part of the endorsement statement where Chief Obasanjo said none of the presidential candidates was a saint.

“We want to state here that Chief Obasanjo is not a good judge of character. He is a man who considers only himself as the all-knowing saint in Nigeria.

“Over the years, Chief Obasanjo has also convinced himself that integrity, honesty and all good virtues begin and end with him.”