Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday asked Nigerians not to vote for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President Bukola Saraki; Governor Aminu Tambuwal, former governor Peter Obi in 2023.
Some youths and persons had claimed to be the ones that purchased the Peoples Democratic Party presidential form for the above presidential aspirants.
Obasanjo did not directly mention their names and asked Nigerians not to vote for them. He only described them as liars for claiming that their nomination forms were purchased by youths and asked Nigerians not to vote for those lying to them.
The former president spoke in Lagos at a colloquium themed, “The African Christian Leadership: Radical Transformation in Unsettled Times”. The event was to mark the 61st birthday of Pastor Itua Ighodalo.
Obasanjo also disagreed with those blaming the 1999 Constitution for the country’s woes, insisting that the constitution was crafted by the military that gathered the best brains in the land at that time to draft it.
According to him, the problem of Nigeria is entirely about leadership.
He said, “Today, they are paying N40m. Some of them (aspirants) even said it is some youths who bought it for them. In fact anybody who would come out to tell you such a lie, you shouldn’t vote for him. Which youths gathered N40m? If you want to buy it, buy it and tell us. You don’t need to lie to us.
“If you say, ‘what is wrong with Nigeria’, leadership. If you say, ‘what do you have to do about Nigeria’, leadership. If you say, ‘where are we taking Nigeria? Leadership.”
Obasanjo emphasised that even if Nigeria gathered the best constitutions in the world, while those who would implement them remained people without the right attitude and orientation, nothing positive would still be achieved.