The Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party has said former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s endorsement of Peter Obi does not reflect the opinion or position of the majority of Nigerians.
In a letter addressed to Nigerians on New Year’s Day, Obasanjo announced the presidential candidate of the Labour Party as his adopted candidate for the 2023 election.
He said though none of the candidates is a saint, Obi has an edge over others.
However, Atiku’s campaign organisation has described the endorsement of Obi by Obasanjo as his personal wish, adding every claim of success achieved during Obasanjo’s administration had Atiku’s input as the vice president and Chairman of the National Economic Council.
A statement issued by the spokesperson for the campaign organisation, Kola Ologbondiyan, reads in part, “While former President Obasanjo is entitled to his personal opinion, as remarkable as it may appear, it remains individualistic and cannot redirect Nigerians from their determination to rally with the more experienced, more proficient and more accepted presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to rescue and rebuild our nation from the APC misrule.
“What is surprising to majority of Nigerians is that in the face of the alarming challenges facing the nation, which requires a tried and tested hand, former President Obasanjo is suggesting a candidate that has not had any experience in governance at the national level.
“In any case, Chief Obasanjo’s opinion cannot sway Nigerians who can easily remember how he endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari, whose administration, he (Obasanjo) now describes as ‘stressful years for many Nigerians’, during which our nation ‘moved from frying pan to fire and from mountain top to the valley’.
“Atiku remains the most widely accepted candidate, whose choice is not predicated by sectional, tribal, ethnic or religious sentiments or the endorsement of any individual, high or low, but by record of ability and performance, authentic vision, honesty and character; physical and mental capacity; the very indices set by the former President.
“It is instructive to state that every claim by former President Obasanjo on the success of his administration is a reflection of the performance of Atiku Abubakar as his Vice President and Chairman of the National Economic Council during which our nation achieved unprecedented economic growth to become one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
“It, therefore, amounts to a disservice for the former President to make subjective suggestion even when it is clear that if a hand like Atiku Abubakar with their shared experience is brought to the forefront of governance, our nation will be rescued from this current sullen state.”
“Our Campaign, therefore, urges Nigerians not to be distracted by subjective opinions but to remain focused on the resolve to salvage our dear nation by electing Atiku Abubakar as the next President of Nigeria, on February 25, 2023,” the statement added.
