Obasanjo Accuses President Jonathan of Playing Do-or-Die Politics
Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has continued his attacks on President Goodluck Jonathan, saying the present president is playing ‘do-or-die’ politics.
Obasanjo, who spoke to journalists on Saturday at his residence in Abeokuta, also said that President Jonathan is afraid of being jailed by Buhari if he loses.
He also claimed that the postponement of the elections was a grand plan by Jonathan and his supporters to stay in office until it was certain the results of the election would favour him.
He acussed Jonathan of playing a brand of politics played by President Gbagbo who he said had delayed the presidential election of the country and when he eventually conducted the election and lost refused to leave the office.
He said, ”I was away because I had a number of assignment abroad which took me to Morocco, Munich, Nairobi, London and New Delhi. Exactly a week today, when we were in Munich for what they called Munich security conferences annual event and all people who are in security community normally, you found them there.
“For this year, the Vice President of America was there, the Secretary of State, John Kerry was there, the Chancellor of Federal Republic of Germany was there, President of Ukraine was there and many others.
“I was there with Koffie Annan, our side was to talk about peace and security in Africa, I was to handle the African perspective while Koffie Annan was to look at it from the global perspective.
“While I was out, I refused to make any categorical statement on this issue because I wanted to come back home and learn at first hand what actually transpired and what was going on, and it turned out to be a forced decision on the INEC because it was alleged that the Security Chiefs were unable to provide security and as a result the Chairman of INEC had to postpone, in accordance with the dictates of the so called Security Chiefs.
“I thought for me, that was bad precedent for democracy in Nigeria, it meant it doesn’t matter what preparation or lack of preparation any electoral body could make in Nigeria, the final decision weather election will take place on the day scheduled for it lies in the domains of the security, it is a sad day for democracy in Nigeria.
“And I will say this, we must all feel concern before democracy is killed. The observable and what would appear to be happening is that the president has a grand plan, a grand plan to ensure that by hook or by crook, he wins the election or if it all fails, they scuttles it and create chaos, confusion and unpleasantness in the whole country.
“Because it is the duty and function and responsibility of the security officers to provide security, the President is the Chief Security of the country and he is the Commander in Chief and if security is required anywhere anytime, it is his duty to provide it, failure to provide it is deriliction of duty, pure and simple.
“Either the President following his own grand plan or his aides and associates are working a script, they are playing a script which must not got his endorsement if not initiated from him.
“What again it looks to me is that the President is trying to playing Gbagbo, Gbagbo was the former President of Cote d’Ivoire and Gbagbo made sure he postponed the election in his country until he was sure he would win and then allowed the election to take place, he got an inconclusive election in the first ballot and I believe this is the sort of thing Nigeria may fall into if I am right in what I observed as the grand plan and then in the run-off, Gbgbo lost with 8% behind Ouattara and then refused to hand over. All reasonable persuasion and pleading was rebuffed by him and he unleashed horror in that country until nemesis caught up with him.
“I believe that we may be seeing the repeat of Gbagbo or what I called Gbagbo saga here in Nigeria, I hope not.”
