It was a harvest of political jabs for former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the Mega Rally of the ruling All Progressives Congress at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos as chieftains of the party threw jabs at their ex-ally for his endorsement and support for the opposisition ruling presidential candidate’s Atiku Abubakar.
It was the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, that threw the first jibe at the former President when he said President Muhammadu Buhari doesn’t have time to write letters.
Obasanjo has been known for writing letters of criticism to his successors, including Buhari on multiple occasions.
Speaking at the All Progressives Congress presidential rally in Lagos, Fashola said, “Mr President, I have spoken to our people extensively in Yoruba before you arrived.
“I have delivered your message and the message of your government and our party to them – that ‘Next Level’ means jobs, from Mambilla, to the road projects, to the factories, roads from Apapa all the way to Oworonshoki…”
The minister added, “I have told them that you don’t have time to write letters; you get the job done. I welcome you, especially because this is my own village. This is my own ‘Daura’ in Lagos. This is Surulere. This is the first city, and this is where, historically, the first dollar was devalued four years ago.”
Then came the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who described former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the greatest election rigger in Nigeria.
This came just as the National Chairman of the APC, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, said unlike the PDP, the APC had never used the federal might to rig elections in the country. Tinubu said Obasanjo should be relegated to the dustbin.
He drew his allusion from a reported statement accredited to the late President Umaru Yar’Adua who stated in 2007 that the election that brought him into power was flawed. The 2007 election was conducted during the administration of ex-President Obasanjo.
Dignitaries at the rally were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, National Chairman of the APC, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, regional vice chairmen across the country, host Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, governors of Ogun (Ibikunle Amosun), Ekiti (Kayode Fayemi), Ondo (Rotimi Akeredolu), Edo (Godwin Obaseki), Osun (Adegboyega Oyetola), Oyo (Abiola Ajimobi) and Kebbi states (Abubakar Bagudu )
Others include the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, his colleague in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, pioneer National Chairman of the APC, Bisi Akande, and a host of other
Tinubu said during the administration of Obasanjo and Atiku, major companies relocated from the country, adding that the PDP’s move to return to power is to continue the sale of the country from where they stopped.
He urged the electorate to guide their Permanent Voter Cards jealously and troop out en masse to vote for the APC candidates across the board in the February 16 and March 2 elections.
Tinubu said, “Who sent Michelin, Dunlop, Siemens packing out of the country, it was the PDP government. They want to come back to take our money to Europe and America. For the foreign observers, you are truly welcome, observe what you want to observe, write your report in peace and go home, this is our democracy. America is still questioning its own democracy.
“In 2007, the late President Yar’Adua said the election that brought him as president in this country was flawed and he promised to reform it. Who conducted that election? Obasanjo is the greatest election rigger in this country, let him be put in the dustbin.”