Drama as Obasanjo quits PDP after 16 yrs

Former President Olusegun
Obasanjo on Monday finally
dumped the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party by asking that his
membership card be torn.
But almost two hours after he did
that, the Ogun State PDP executive
council, headed by Chief Adebayo
Dayo, announced his expulsion
from the party over what it termed
his “series of unabated anti-party
activities.”
The former President was hosting
the executive and members of the
party from Ward 11, Abeokuta North
at his Hilltop residence when he
announced that he was dumping
the PDP.
The ward Chairman, Alhaji Usman
Oladunjoye, who led the
delegation, had told Obasanjo that
they were on the visit to verify
reports on a plot to suspend him
from the PDP.
After he had thanked them for their
concern and narrated how the
Goodluck Jonathan administration
had almost run the country
aground, he said, “They said they
want to expel me from the PDP,
although I have not been told that;
I have my ears to the ground.
“We have been trying to run away
from a mad man but he pleads we
wait for him at the other side of the
river.
“I have told you before that I
became President on the platform
of the PDP and once I leave the
party, I will not join any other party.
“I will only be a Nigerian, I am
ready to work with anybody
regardless of political affiliation.
Why would some people say they
want to send me away.
“They don’t need to bother
themselves, here’s your
membership card, take it (at this
point, he gave the card to
Oladunjoye to tear).
As Oladunjoye stood up and tore
the card, with Obasanjo watching
him closely, the visitors rose from
their seats, raised their hands and
danced in support of his action.
After the pieces of the card were
handed to some of the visitors,
Obasanjo said, “From today on, in
the presence of all of us and with
your support, I am not going to be
in any political party in Nigeria.
“I am no more a politician but a
statesman, both internally and
externally.
“You asked me two questions and I
will answer them comprehensively.
But before I answer them let me
say this. This Nigeria belongs to all
of us and it must not be destroyed.
“This is my PDP membership card,
where I’m standing is that Nigeria
belongs to everybody, including
babies. We must not allow anybody
to destroy it.
“Wherever they come from,
whatever they have and if they
destroy it, it becomes a burden to
us, our children and the incoming
generation.
“The question asked is which party
am I? I belong to the group that
believes that Nigeria must not be
destroyed. Those of you that are
traders, will observe that there’s
inflation in the country . The Bureau
de Change operators used to
change a $1 for N150 but it is
going to be N250 to a dollar.
“What it means is that, what you’ve
been buying for N150 will sell for
N250. This is not the kind of country
we dream of. There’s no job; no
money.
“It is unfortunate that those
destroying the country are
oblivious of the fact that the PDP
exists because Nigeria still exists.
“I will never be in a party that will
destroy Nigeria. Without Nigeria,
there will be no PDP. What should
be of concern to us is how to make
Nigeria stronger by making our
economy grow .”
Obasanjo,who joined the PDP in
1998, also debunked the allegation
that he wanted to head an Interim
National Government.
He said, “How can anybody in his
right senses talk of ING in a
democratic setting? Some of them
are working for it. God will not
allow it.’’ But almost two hours
after he quit the PDP, the Dayo-led
executive of the party, said the
former President’s ward had in a
letter dated February 12, accused
him of anti-party activities and
uncomplimentary utterances
against President Goodluck
Jonathan.
Dayo said, “Following the series of
unabated anti-party activities
unbecoming of a highly celebrated
party man engaged in by Chief
Obasanjo, totality of the executive,
leaders and members of the PDP
family in Ogun State hereby state
categorically as from today,
Monday, February 16, 2015, that
Olusegun Obasanjo stands expelled
and ex-communicated from the
party, thereby losing all rights,
previous privileges and respect of
our teeming members.”
He added that whatever Obasanjo
“does or say henceforth must no
longer be seen from the prism of a
PDP leader.”
The PDP chief recalled that the
former President was “intolerable
of any form of criticisms while in
office,” and wondered why he
should be at loggerheads with
Jonathan and the PDP.
Last year, Obasanjo withdrew from
all PDP activities on the grounds
that he could no longer be in the
same party and be led in the South-
West by someone he referred to as
a drug baron.
The PDP National Chairman, Adamu
Mu’azu, avoided comment on
Obasanjo’s exit from the party but
the Board of Trustees, the South-
West chapter and Ekiti State
Governor Ayodele Fayose described
it as a welcome development.
The BoT Chairman, Tony Anenih,
told State House correspondents
after attending a meeting of PDP
chiefs with Jonathan at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja that the
party stood to lose nothing from
Obasanjo’s exit.
Anenih, who took over from
Obasanjo as the BOT chairman, was
initially reluctant to react to the
development which obviously
rattled the party chiefs.
The following conversation ensued
between him and the State House
correspondents.
As the chairman of the PDP BoT,
how will you react to former
President Obasanjo’s action
which indicated that he had
formally left your party?
He (Obasanjo) has the right to leave
any party and he has the right to
join any party. He is a Nigerian.
Will you miss him?
Why should we miss him?
Is Obasanjo’s exit not a big loss
to the PDP?
To us leaders, it is not a loss.
He did not answer further
questions as he made his way to his
waiting car.
When the State House
correspondents turned to Mu’azu,
he pretended not to hear them.
The National Security Adviser,
Sambo Dasuki, had to tell him that
reporters were talking to him.
At this point, Mu’azu turned to the
reporters, took a bow and walked
briskly into the new Banqueting
Hall of the Presidential Villa where
Jonathan presided over another
round of meetings with the party
chiefs.
But the PDP spokesman, Olisa
Metuh, later issued a statement in
which the party described
Obasanjo’s action as ‘‘unfortunate.’’
It said that it was difficult to know
what made Obasanjo ask that his
membership card be torn.
The statement read, “We have also
carefully examined the
circumstances and the reasons
adduced for this unfortunate
decision.
“While we concede to the
inalienable rights of every citizen
to hold opinion and to decide who
to associate with, we are however
deeply saddened that Obasanjo, a
revered leader of our party, our first
presidential candidate whom the
PDP offered the platform to rule
our nation for eight years, could
decide to abandon this party at this
critical point in time.
“This is especially as Obasanjo, who
was also the chairman of the
highest advisory organ of the PDP,
the BoT, discountenanced all pleas
by elders and leaders of our great
party with regard to his
reservations on certain issues
within our fold.
“Many Nigerians are still
bewildered as to what manner of
provocation could have led a
former President to lose his
composure and go to the extent of
tearing the membership card of the
party that he once led.
“Indeed, the PDP is hugely at loss
as to how the decision and action of
the former President who had
enjoyed the benefits of being
elected to the highest position of
leadership will assist in deepening
our democracy and stabilising the
polity.
“It is our considered opinion that
no matter the provocation, a
statesmanly disposition from a
person of Obasanjo’s status could
have encouraged our citizens and
help in stabilising system.
“We believe however, that what
this country needs now is patriotic
actions that engender national
unity, tolerance and peaceful
coexistence of our people
irrespective of political, ethnic and
religious persuasions. The overall
interest of our nation and well
being of our citizens must remain
paramount and above all personal
and group interests.”
The Director of Media and Publicity
of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign
Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode,
also described Obasanjo’s exit as
tragic.
“We shall miss baba,” he said,
promising to send a formal
response on the issue through his
press secretary.
But the response had yet to be sent
as of 8pm on Monday.
The South-West Chairman of the
PDP, Makanjuola Ogundipe,
described Obasanjo’s action as
“childish, self-serving and cruel.
He said, “Instead of turning himself
to a masquerader, dancing naked in
the market- place, Obasanjo should
be honest enough to disclose those
selfish demands that he made from
President Jonathan, which were
declined.”
Like Anenih, Ogundipe said in a
statement that the party would
not miss the former President, who
according to him, had ceased
from being a member of the PDP
since last year.
The statement read in part, “He
only formalised his exit from our
party today(Monday) and we in the
PDP are relieved now that we no
longer have a mole among us.
“In the first instance, he has never
contributed a dime to the PDP, a
party that made him president.
Rather, he has promoted strife and
rebellion among members for his
own selfish interests.
“It was his selfishness that caused
us the governorship election in
Ogun State in 2011 and it was his
high-handedness that led to the
exit of key members of the party.
We are therefore happy that he has
finally bid us farewell and we will
not miss him.’’
Governor Fayose, who also
described Obasanjo’s exit from the
PDP as a good omen, said the
former President ought to have
been shown a red card long ago.
He said, “Obasanjo’s exit is a good
riddance to bad rubbish. His
departure is inglorious; we will
never miss him.
“Now the PDP can sleep with two
eyes closed because the lion
among our brethren and the
tormentor of Nigeria just left our
party to join the All Progressives
Congress.”
Fayose, who reacted through his
Chief Press Secretary, Idowu
Adelusi, added, “The former
President was a man without
honour who had been the major
problem of the PDP.”
He said, “Obasanjo shouldn’t just
tear his PDP membership card; he
should relinquish the ownership of
Bell University, Obasanjo Farms,
Obasanjo Presidential Library, and
other financial benefits he got
during his eight years as
President.’’
Kashamu, who is the chairman,
Mobilisation and Organisation
Committee of the PDP in the South-
West, said Obasanjo had no
electoral value and was therefore
free to exit the PDP.
He said, ‘‘Obasanjo only took a pre-
emptive step. It was reported in
the newspapers today (Monday)
that the state executive of the
party would initiate appropriate
disciplinary action against him for
anti-party activities.
“This is in the hopes that the
National Executive Council of the
party will take it up from there.”
Two members of the PDP BoT –
Shauib Oyedokun and Walid Jibrin –
said the former President merely
exhibited anger by tearing his
membership card.
Oyedokun, in a text message to
one of our correspondents, asked
God to save the country and give
her leaders that would lead by
example.
He said, “Tearing of party card
connotes anger at its peak. May
Allah save Nigeria and give us
leadership by example, leaders
whose actions will be worthy of
emulation.”
Jibrin, who is the Secretary of the
BoT, said the former President
should have behaved responsibly if
he wanted to leave the party.
He said, “He (Obasanjo) should have
behaved responsibly. If he wants to
leave the PDP, is it wrong for him to
do so? If he is to do that, will he
come out in the public?
“He has access to the President; he
has all the podium to do so; he has
all the privileges to go and discuss
with the President; do others
behave that way?
“Should Obasanjo, a former Head of
State, behave that way? Even if you
want to take a decision like that,
will you do it that way? As a
responsible person, will you do it
that way?
“There is a process of coming out of
the PDP. You go to your ward and
submit your card; give some
explanations on why you are doing
so.
Obasanjo’ s action, a plus for
APC
–El-Rufai
The All Progressives Congress
Governorship candidate for Kaduna
State, Nasir el-Rufai, said
Obasanjo’s action would boost the
fortune of the APC in the March 28
and April 11 elections.
El-Rufai, a former Minister of the
Federal Capital Territory, said
through his campaign organisation,
that for the ex-President to dump
the PDP should be a source of
concern to Nigerians.
He said, “Obasanjo is a highly
respected figure in the country and
if somebody of his calibre should
throw out the party that he rode on
to power for eight years, then, it
should be a source of concern to all
Nigerians.
“He will be highly welcome to the
party. If the party can receive him,
its a plus for the APC.”