By ‘Dotun Akintomide
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has challenged the People Democratic Party (PDP) to give the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a run for its money and strength in order to deepen Nigeria’s democracy.
Obasanjo, who was a former Board of Trustees Chairman of the PDP said in Abeokuta on Tuesday that a strong opposition will curtail the excesses and impunity of the incumbent administration.
In his words: “I have said that publicly before and I will say it again.
“For our democracy to thrive and continue to be strong, we need a strong party in government and a strong party in the opposition.
“It has to be that way, otherwise the party in government will get away with impunity, and that is not good for democracy,” he said.
Obasanjo, speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting with Ahmed Makarfi, Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of the PDP also vowed never to return to partisan politics again.
He said, he was, however, always ready to intervene in the affairs of Nigeria.
Adding that his passion for the country would remain “until death do us part”.
The meeting took place at the Ake Conference Hall of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Makarfi arrived with Sarafa Tunji Isola, former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, amongst other members of the party.
Obasanjo described the meeting as private, saying it was a meeting between “two colleagues”.
The former president, who also spoke partly in Pidgin English, said, “This na two colleagues meeting – two colleagues before before. When I was the president, chairman was a governor – two colleagues before before.
“I have told the chairman that I was in PDP before, but not now.
“God forbid sey when a dog vomits, it will go back to eat its vomit, no.
“I have said no partisan politics for me again – and not partisan politics, but Nigeria, is my passion until death do us part.
“And anything that concerns Nigeria – the good of Nigeria – you’ll see my involvement.
“So, the chairman has come to greet me and I greet am, and now that we’ve greeted ourselves, chairman will be going, you gentlemen and ladies of the press, you can now go, leave the chairman alone.”
When asked to react to Obasanjo’s statement, Makarfi said, “I concur with everything Baba has said. Baba don talk am.”
Meanwhile, a source told The New Diplomat that the meeting, which was earlier scheduled to hold at Obasanjo’s Presidential Hilltop Mansion, was later shifted to Ake Conference Hall of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) after a security alert concerning a planned attack on Makarfi by a group loyal to senator representing Ogun East at the National Assembly, Buruji Kashamu.
