Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s New Year message to Nigerian youths urging them to pick his preferred candidate Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party ahead of the forthcoming general elections in February in the country has attracted lots of applause and criticisms from the political gladiators across all party lines and Nigerians as a whole.
In a letter he wrote on Sunday , titled, “My appeal to all Nigerians particularly young Nigerians,” the former president implored the youths to ensure they elect a president with character, antecedent, competence, understanding, knowledge and vitality, which he claims Obi exemplifies compared to other candidates.
he said,” none of the contestants is a saint, but when one compares their character, antecedent, their understanding, knowledge, discipline and vitality that they can bring to bear and the great effort required to stay focused on the job, particularly lookin at where the country is today and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi as a mentee has an edge.”
In a swift reaction, the All Progressive Congress, APC, and the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, have dismissed Obasanjo’s endorsement of Obi, saying the opinion of the former president carries no weight. While others have disagreed with the two major political parties on their impression of Obasanjo’s letter adding that the former president has the political clout to sway the minds of Nigerians on who to vote given his pedigree.
The presidential flagbearer of the PDP Atiku Abubakar said that Obasanjo’s endorsement of Obi does not necessarily reflect the wishes of Nigerians; while Tinubu of the APC dismissed the endorsement as worthless and not worth losing sleep over.
But other Nigerians believe that Obasanjo’s endorsement of Obi could amount to something. They hinged their argument on the fact that the former president had since 2007 been instrumental to picking who becomes the next president of Nigeria. In 2007 he personally anointed late Musa Yaradua, who died barely after two years in office. In 2011, he also endorsed Goodluck Jonathan and in 2015, Obasanjo pitched tent with Muhammadu Buhari . However, it was only in 2019 that after much pressure he sided with his former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, but who, unfortunately lost to the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari.
With less than 60 days to the general election, Nigerians are watching to see which way the pendulum would swing.
Meanwhile the political parties are earnestly canvassing for their candidates. Nigerians are expecting in the next couple of days to begin to hear about mergers among the political parties in order to further consolidate their positions.
By February 25, Nigerians will know if the various moves have paid off afterall.