Elder statesman and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah has knocked former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his recent attacks on President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration as well as the alleged impartiality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of next month’s general elections.

Speaking to newsmen on Wednesday shortly after the presentation of his book titled ‘It Is Well With My Soul’ at the Yar’ Adua Centre in Abuja, Attah said as an elder statesman, Obasanjo is expected to be an impartial arbiter in the polity rather than whipping up sentiments capable of creating precarious situations.

Attah said: “He (Obasanjo) is not behaving like a statesman. Where there are two parties to a dispute, the right thing to do is to mediate and not instigate them against each other.”

He also faulted Obasanjo’s attack on INEC, saying after the vote of confidence passed on the electoral body by the National Council of State of which Obasanjo is a member, it was evident that the ex-president’s fears about the commitment of INEC to a free, fair and credible election was misplaced and in bad faith.

He added: “I will tell you in all honesty that I do not like what ex-president Obasanjo is doing. He may think that he is trying to help the country but I think he is creating a very dangerous situation and why I say that is that when an elder statesman wants to speak, it should be by way of counseling.

“He should warn Nigerians to shun violence and behave with decorum because this election we are going into is very crucial for Nigeria and everybody knows it.

“But when a statesman begins to shout, saying this is what they want to do or that is what they are going to do and thereby laying a foundation to the extent that if the election results go against his position, then it has been rigged.

“So, you can see that he is laying a foundation for possible violence. We do not have to have that, not during elections or after. As an elder statesman, I can join myl voice with what other elders are saying.

“These elections are very crucial to Nigeria and people must take very serious precaution about what they say or so. You cannot begin to say that if the election results do not go your way, then the people must revolt.

“It is wrong. Now after all that, he was at the council of state meeting yesterday that said INEC is well prepared for the elections. So, what was the noise all about?

“If at the council of state meeting it was established that indeed INEC was not prepared, then there would have been some justification for what he said. I think people are just heating up the polity for nothing. Is it that they are afraid? I don’t like it.

“That he did not come out dissenting means that he agreed. If he was not at the meeting, perhaps one could have said maybe if he was there he would have kicked against the position of the council of state.

“As elders, we should be putting balm to assuage frayed nerves. An elder statesman should not align with any of the parties. He should counsel them and not add voice to this kind of contentions.”