The Presidency says former President Olusegun Obasanjo destabilised Nigeria’s democracy by orchestrating the impeachment of governors who were not compliant with his “highly imperial” administration.
The Presidency said Obasanjo’s regime between 1999 and 2007, represented the dark days of Nigeria’s democracy, noting that the former President was responsible for the impeachment of former Governors Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Rashidi Ladoja (Oyo), Peter Obi (Anambra), Chris Ngige (Anambra), and Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti).
It also stated that Obasanjo has been attacking President Muhammadu Buhari because the former President has always been jealous of anyone who beats him to a new record in the country’s development process.
The Presidency said this via a statement issued on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
Shehu stated that President Buhari is ahead of Obasanjo in all fields of national development and “to do that is cardinal sin to Obasanjo whose hallucinations tell him that he is the best ever to lead Nigeria and there will never be another one better than him.”
He stressed that the former President has been attacking Buhari out of frustration.
“As President, Obasanjo destabilised internal democracy by orchestrating impeachment after impeachment of governors who were not compliant with his highly imperial administration.
“As we said sometime back, Mr. Obasanjo’s tenure, 1999-2007, represented the dark days of Nigeria’s democracy due to a slew of assaults on the constitution.
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“The former President deployed federal machinery to remove governors Joshua Dariye, Rashidi Ladoja, Peter Obi, Chris Ngige, and Ayo Fayose from office. They were the then governors of Plateau, Oyo, Anambra, Anambra, and Ekiti, respectively, unjustly removed using the police and secret service under his control.
“Under him, a five-man legislature met at 6:00 am and ‘impeached’ Governor Dariye in Plateau; 18 members out of 32 removed Governor Ladoja of Oyo from office; in Anambra, APGA’s Governor Obi was equally impeached at 5:00 a.m. by members who did not meet the two-thirds required by the constitution.
“Lawmaking powers of the Rivers State legislature were transferred to the federal parliament to punish Governor Amaechi for shifting his political alliance.
“Moreover, he damned the Supreme Court and unlawfully held back Lagos State revenues due from federal sources on account of his pettiness against Governor Bola Tinubu,” the presidential spokesman added.
Shehu stated that on the other hand, the United States President, Joe Biden, at a recent meeting with African Heads of States and Government in Washington described President Buhari as “a champion of democracy and role model for the leaders of African states”.
“Clearly, Obasanjo has become even more jealous by adopting a vengeful attitude,” he noted.
Shehu noted that Obasanjo lied to the people of the South-East to get their votes for his re-election in 2003, adding that President Buhari completed the Second Niger Bridge after three decades of failed promises.
“Obasanjo laid the sod for the bridge in his first term as elected President and work never started.
“When he sought re-election for his second term in office, he returned to the site to turn the sod for the bridge the second time. When the Obi of Onitsha, forthright and scholarly, reminded him that he had done this in the past, Obasanjo told the foremost Southeast traditional ruler that he was a liar, in the full presence of the Chiefs and Oracles in his palace.
“Obasanjo lied to the Southeast to get their votes. President Buhari didn’t get their votes but built the bridge because he believed it is the right thing to do,” the presidential spokesman stated.
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