Why
I tore my PDP membership card
In three tweets, yesterday night,
explaining his decision, Obasanjo said: “I’d rather sacrifice my political
party for the interest of Nigeria than sacrifice my country for a political
party led by a drug baron.
“I’d rather tear the PDP membership
card than sit down and let Jonathan use PDP and corruption to tear my beloved
country apart.
“I have national and international
standard to maintain. For this reason I’d rather stand alone than be in the
same political party with Kashamu.”
Obasanjo said that the party card he
tore was one of the considerations to him in the bid to project Nigeria,
pointing out that there was nothing he could not sacrifice for the interest of
the nation.
He boasted that despite the
destruction of his party card, he would not be cowed by anyone, as he was still
ready to comment on any matter that required his comment or view.
He said: “If there is anything that
requires my comment, position or views, I will say it. It is only when you kill
me that I will stop doing so.”
The former leader, who is known to
have spearheaded the emergence of the Jonathan Presidency, explained that being
patriotic demanded the will to sacrifice anything, including his life for the
interest of Nigeria but not his life for a political party.
“My first preoccupation is what is
best for Nigeria: Nigeria first, party second and anything third,” Obasanjo
said.
On
the Military
He also accused the Presidency under
Jonathan of politicising every public institution in Nigeria, including the
Nigerian military.
“It’s no longer news that the
Presidency has politicised every institution in Nigeria. Even the
military has chosen to be another arm
of PDP,” he alleged.
Vanguard learnt that
Obasanjo might have taken his decision to tear his membership card and
voluntarily quit the party before the leadership, apparently upset by his
tantrums against Jonathan moves against him.
The
move to suspend OBJ
It was reliably gathered that the
party had mooted the idea of formally suspending him from its fold but was
restrained by the leadership which had hoped he would soft-pedal over time,
only for Obasanjo to unleash more caustic assaults last week, alleging a
determination of the president to win the forthcoming presidential election by
hook or crook.
Obasanjo early yesterday, announced
his exit from the party while hosting members of the PDP from his Ward 11,
Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State, who called on him to
enquire on his continued membership of the party following what they claimed as
the no love lost relationship with the president.
The members were led by the ward
chairman, Alhaji Usman Oladunjoye who asked him to explain where he belongs.
In his response, Obasanjo said he had
his ears close to the ground and said that he, too, had heard of the plan by
the PDP leadership to sanction him.
He said: “You asked me two questions
and I will answer them comprehensively. This Nigeria belongs to all of us and
it must not be destroyed. This is my PDP’s membership card, where I am 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 our burden to our children and incoming generation.
“The question asked is that which
party am I? I belong to the group that believes that Nigeria must not be
destroyed. Those of you that are marketers you observed that there’s inflation
in the market. The bureaux de change operators
exchanged dollars with N150 then and is (now) going to be N250 to a dollar.
“What it means is that, what you’ve
been buying for N150 will be bought for N250, this is not the kind of country
we dream of. There’s no job, employment. Some people have started destroying
Nigeria and I will never be in a party that will destroy Nigeria. Perhaps, you
don’t understand that it is because there’s Nigeria that is why PDP exists.
Without Nigeria, there will be no PDP anymore.
“What some of us should be concerned
about now is how to make Nigeria stronger and our economy would witness
economic growth.
I
won’t join another party
“They said they want to expel me from
PDP, although I have not been told but I have my ears on ground. We’ve been
trying to run away from a 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
PDP. Once I leave PDP, I will not join any party.
“I will only be a Nigerian, I’m 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,” Obasanjo said as he handed over the card to the
ward chairman.
“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. Once you people are with me what other people am I looking for?
“And on the day of election, whatever
it takes”, the PVC must be obtained, you don’t need to be a politician before
you get your PVC. On the day of election, you can vote for your choice, but I
will vote for those who will repair Nigeria and not those who will destroy it.
Tears
the card
“What is important is that we should
hold Ward 11 community together, what we are going to do now is that I don’t
have the burden of PDP again. Help me tear into pieces my membership card”, he
said as the ward chairman dutifully carried out the directive.
Obasanjo also dismissed claims by the
Jonathan campaign organisation that he was planning the installation of an
interim national government.
“How can anybody in his right senses
talk of ING in a democratic setting? Some of them are working for it (but) God
will not allow it. In my ward, we’ll be meeting from time to time to discuss
and interact on whatever you want and what I want.
“I don’t want to be carrying
membership card around but you can do that but when election comes, we’ll pray
God would direct us to vote rightly. Nigeria will be okay, Ogun will be
alright,” Obasanjo said.
Culled: VanguardNG
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