"PDP's plea for forgiveness is wrong and misrepresented" - Obasanjo

A former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has described a plea made last week by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, Adamu Mu’azu and other top members of the party, for him to return to the party, as a wrong and great misrepresentation.

In a statement on Sunday, Obasanjo said he was away to South Africa to attend a meeting of the African Union on crisis in South Sudan when he heard about the plea for forgiveness.

Also with the PDP chairman were the Senate President, David Mark and a former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

In a report credited to the Punch Newspaper, Mr Obasanjo stressed that he bore no grudge against anybody in the PDP, but expressed his displeasure with the choice of Mr Buruji Kashamu as the Chairman, Mobilisation and Organisation committee of the party in the South-West.

“Talking of inviting me back to the PDP is wrong and it is a great misrepresentation as I have never left the PDP and I will never leave the PDP. I have said it before and I will say it again, I rose to become the President of Nigeria on the platform of the PDP and for that reason alone, I will remain a card-carrying and ward-active member of the PDP for as long as I have to be a political party member,” he said.

Mr Obasanjo had told some members of the opposition All Progressives Party that visited him sometime in December 2013 that he remained a card carrying member of the PDP.

He also said: ”If, however, anybody or group feels offended by my continued membership, I will offer an unreserved apology but continue to remain in the Party”.

“I have had occasions to say to the President (Goodluck Jonathan), the Senate President (David Mark) and the party chairman separately that I have no quarrel with any individual or group in the party. There are, for me, issues of principle, morality, honour, integrity, commitment, and character which are paramount.”

“For instance, as a former President of Nigeria, the Chairman of West Africa Commission on Drug and a member of the Global Commission on Drug, I cannot accept that the zonal leader of my political party and, worse still in my zone, will be an indicted drug baron wanted in America. How do I explain that to friends outside Nigeria? This is only one of the many issues that I have pointed and still pointing out,” he said, giving a reason for his seeming withdrawal from the party’s national activities.

He also pointed out that he has a “national and international standard to maintain and reputation to keep and sustain”.

Mr Obasanjo emphasised that his commitment to the party was total and under no condition would it diminish.


Credit: ChannelsNews