Igbo Youths Warn Obasanjo Against Anti-Jonathan Comments

The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, the
Ohanaeze Ndigbo , has warned ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo over his
reported remarks on President Goodluck Jonathan.

Media reports had quoted Obasanjo as saying that Jonathan shifted the
election dates because he was afraid of defeat and that perhaps the
President had been listening to aides telling him that he stands the
risk of being jailed for corruption should the opposition All
Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu
Buhari (retd.) wins the poll.

The former President also alleged that Jonathan was engaging in "the
do-or-die" politics played by the former President of Cote d'Ivoire,
Laurent Gbagbo.

But the Ohanaeze Youth Council warned Obasanjo to stop inciting
Nigerians against the President, who, according to the group, "has
dwarfed the achievements of all former Nigerian leaders."

Speaking with our correspondent in Umuahia, the Abia State capital,
the National President of OYC, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said "Obasanjo
should stop fanning the embers of war through his unguarded utterances
against a sitting President."

Isiguzoro accused Obasanjo of plotting, in connivance with some
undemocratic elements, to topple Jonathan's government through
inciting comments, warning that any attempt to derail Nigeria's
democracy would be resisted.

"Obasanjo is a disappointment to democracy. He should not plunge
Nigeria into another civil war through his hate remarks against
Jonathan," he said.

Isiguzoro said Jonathan had "by all standards proved to be a core
democrat, otherwise the likes of Obasanjo should be cooling his feet
in the jail by now because of his evil deeds while in office."

The OYC leader said corruption was institutionalised during Obasanjo's
administration and wondered when the former President overnight turned
into the vanguard of democracy.

He said, "Obasanjo should know that he has expired politically and
Nigerian youths cannot allow him and other spent forces that belong to
the past to ruin our future.

"Nigeria cannot buy his belated and selfish idea of Interim National
Government, and all those plotting to put Nigeria backwards will be
disappointed because the youths are now wiser."

Isiguzoro further argued that "if anyone should be afraid of going to
jail because of corruption and illegality, it is Obasanjo who
superintended over the destruction of Odi town while he was in
office."

He said that President Jonathan deserved the right to seek re-election
and should not be deprived of that right by "members of a self-serving
cabal who think that Nigeria is their private estate."
--PUNCH