Former
President Olusegun Obasanjo has condemned seven governors of the ruling All
Progressives Congress for endorsing President Muhammadu Buhari to seek
re-election in 2019.
Mr.
Obasanjo made his displeasure of the governor’s action known in a statement he
released on Tuesday, saying Mr. Buhari has failed and should not consider
seeking re-election.
While
slamming Mr Buhari for what he described as his lack-lustre response to the
killing of 73 people in Benue State by herdsmen, Mr Obasanjo said the decision
by the governors to endorse Mr Buhari barely a day after those killed in the
attack were given mass burial was insensitive and callous.
“It
is a sad symptom of insensitivity and callousness that some governors, a day
after 73 victims were being buried in a mass grave in Benue State without
condolence, were jubilantly endorsing President Buhari for a second term!
The timing was most unfortunate,” he said.
The
governors of Niger State, Abubakar Bello; Yobe, Ibrahim Gaidam; Kogi, Yahaya
Bello; Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje; Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai; Adamawa, Jibrilla
Bindow, and Plateau, Simon Lalong, on January 12, 2017 after a meeting with Mr
Buhari announced that they had endorsed him to run for re-election.
The governors, who made the announcement after Friday prayers with the president at the State House Mosque, said they owed no one apology for the endorsement.
“We are politicians and those of us you see here want the President to contest the 2019 election. We have no apologies for that,” Mr El-Rufai who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said.
“We believe in Mr. President, we want him to continue running the country in the right direction. People can speculate about 2019, we have no apologies. Whether they are right or wrong is beside the point.
“Everybody is entitled to his own opinion, but as governors, and most of us here with the exception of Yobe Governor, are first time governors. We are interested in continuity and stability and we want the President to continue with that,” he added.
The governors, who made the announcement after Friday prayers with the president at the State House Mosque, said they owed no one apology for the endorsement.
“We are politicians and those of us you see here want the President to contest the 2019 election. We have no apologies for that,” Mr El-Rufai who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said.
“We believe in Mr. President, we want him to continue running the country in the right direction. People can speculate about 2019, we have no apologies. Whether they are right or wrong is beside the point.
“Everybody is entitled to his own opinion, but as governors, and most of us here with the exception of Yobe Governor, are first time governors. We are interested in continuity and stability and we want the President to continue with that,” he added.
- Premium Times
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