Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation has described as a panicky move, the attack by Buhari Campaign Organisation over the endorsement of Atiku Abubakar for the 2019 presidential election by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In a statement by its Director of Strategic Communications, Festus Keyamo, the Buhari Campaign Organisation described Obasanjo’s endorsement of Atiku as a “complete non-event.”
But in its reply, the Atiku Campaign Organisation described Buhari as being panicky and hypocritical.
The group said Buhari who criticized the endorsement of Atiku by Obasanjo had on different occasions had cause to visit Obasanjo and former Military President Ibrahim Babangida for their support to achieve his presidential ambition.
The group said it was regrettable that Buhari was insulting Obasanjo and Atiku over the endorsement.
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The statement by the Atiku group reads:
President Buhari Has Scored an Own Goal With His Attack on Chief Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar
The Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation has just read with bemusement the panicky reaction of the Buhari Campaign Organisation to the endorsement of His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, by the respected former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
We note the insult the Buhari Campaign Organisation has heaped on former President Obasanjo, and we can only say that it was expected. The Buhari camp is very predictable.
In trying to paint former President Olusegun Obasanjo as a flip-flopper, the Buhari Campaign Organisation shot itself in the foot.
Their statement says “President Buhari was never reported to have groveled and “begged” anyone for forgiveness, just to be endorsed as a Presidential candidate”.
How true is this? Let the facts speak for themselves.
In an interview that the then Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) gave to Premium Times on December 24, 2012, Mr. Buhari accused both former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, of betrayal.
His exact words were “I felt betrayed by Mr. Babangida” and “I haven’t forgiven Obasanjo”.
Now fast forward to November 13, 2013 and the same Muhammadu Buhari, visited General Babangida, who he had called a traitor, in his home in Minna and praised him to high heavens when seeking his support for his Presidential bid.
A month later, on December 22, 2013, Mr. Buhari also visited former President Obasanjo, who he had previously savaged, and together with his party leaders, begged Obasanjo to ‘be APC’s navigator’ to victory.
From the above facts, Nigerians can see for themselves who the hypocrite is between Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar on the one side and President Buhari.
Moreover, we note that the Buhari Campaign Organisation, in their statement, took it upon themselves to also insult the men of God who were present at that event. We are not surprised. After all, Festus Keyamo, the man who signed the statement, was indicted by a young girl who provided video and documentary evidence alleging that he participated in framing up a renowned man of God on false charges. It would seem that attacking men of God is now a full-time occupation of the Buhari Campaign Organisation.
Finally, we note the disingenuous smear of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Complex by the Buhari Campaign Organisation. In their statement, they alleged that the library is in clear violation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.
Nigerians know of the notoriety of the Buhari government in using the Code of Conduct Tribunal to blackmail political opponents. They tried and failed with Senate President Bukola Saraki and they are now trying and failing with Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.
Funny enough, when President Muhammadu Buhari visited the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Complex, he had words of praise for it. Today, that praise has turned to threats.
