Reactions have continued to trail Sunday’s scathing preview of the forthcoming elections in Nigeria by the country’s former president, Olusegun Obasanjo.

Obasanjo had alleged plans by President Muhammadu Buhari to return himself to power through a manipulation of state institutions including the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Reacting to the development, the Presidency via a live television programme, Politics Today which was aired on Sunday night on Channels Television asked Obasanjo to explain to Nigerians whether elections under his administration were free and fair.

Speaking during the programme, the Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina alleged that Obasanjo’s regime was characterized by impunity.

He said: “Let me start by saying that President Muhammadu Buhari has abiding respect for former President Olusegun Obasanjo. You know they come from a constituency in which seniority is forever.

“President Obasanjo was superior to President Buhari in the military. President Buhari served under him for three and a quarter years as oil minister. So, former President Obasanjo is a senior to President Buhari any day any time and President gives him due courtesies whenever they meet.

“So President Buhari will never be rude. That respect is abiding and enduring. Talking of the statement today, I can only say that what the former President had said is the opinion of a man. There are about 196 million Nigerians. If one man says anything, it is as best his opinion, it does not mean that is the gospel.

“What the former President has said is his opinion and this is a democracy, he has a right to it. You also forget that in this country when former President Obasanjo was in power there were many things that constituted impunity in that government.

“So like they said the onlooker sees more of the game than the player. It is so easy for the former President to sit back in his chair reclining and criticize a government but many things that constitute impunity would have happened under his government.

“Like I said and like you have observed, it is just an opinion of one man and it doesn’t constitute the gospel.”

Reacting to Obasanjo’s statement, Yinka Odumakin, the National Publicity Secretary of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere said the country was currently experiencing what it described as a civilian dictatorship.

“We are already in another Abacha regime. We have seen disobedience of court orders, the decimation of every perceived opponent, and absence of freedom of speech.

“We have seen the hounding of people. What we are in today is worse than Abacha, we knew what we had under Abacha. So, we have a civilian dictatorship in Nigeria,” Odumakin said.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group on its part said the political manoeuvers ahead of the 2019 presidential election have vindicated Obasanjo’s statement.

According to a statement issued in Abakaliki through its National Publicity Secretary, Uche Achi-Okpagha, the group cited numerous moves by the Presidency that lend credence to Obasanjo’s statement.

“Every indication testifies to Obasanjo’s vindication. President Obasanjo (as he then was) appointed a South-Easterner, GEJ appointed a northerner, but apparently, owing to his ulterior motives seemingly playing out now, he appointed a northerner as lNEC Chairman.

“The bleeding issues are the latest appointment of Amina Zakari who has been an age long close confidant of Buhari and the callous and blatant move to remove the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

“The majority opinion is that the presidency wants to remove the CJN and plant a northerner as usual, who would play to the political gallery and instruct appointed judges to make electoral decisions favourable to the APC.

“I sincerely identify with Obasanjo in his fears and posit that a four-year-old government should be able to tell Nigerians that ‘l did this and that’ not that ‘l will do this and that.’

However, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) called on Obasanjo to behave like the statesman that he is by desisting from running down democratic institutions but encouraging them to perform better.

The National Secretary of the ACF, Anthony Sani who admitted that he had not seen the statement said Obasanjo was driven by his partisanship, arguing that most Nigerians were not aware of any plan by Abacha to rig election because he never conducted elections.

Sani said: “If that is what he, Obasanjo said, I would submit that most Nigerians were not aware since Abacha never conducted any elections before he died.

“And given the fact that we do not know the alleged plans by the present regime to rig the elections, it would be wrong for any group to be worried.

“This is because any worry would amount to vote of no confidence on our democratic institutions like INEC which has assured the nation of the commission’s readiness to conduct free and fair elections by improving on the performance recorded in the previous elections in 2015.

“Even though the former president is fully partisan and may go any length to cast aspersions on the ruling party and the democratic institutions under her watch, it would be worthy of him to note that he cannot plough off his status as a statesman who is expected to help build and strengthen our democratic institutions for performance, and not to run them down without suggestions on how best to improve them.”


The main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also reacted to the development, maintaining that the assertions made by Obasanjo have vindicated its position on the partisanship of INEC.

In a statement issued by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said Obasanjo’s submission has also reinforced its position that President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have realized that the only way to win the 2019 polls was to besiege all democratic institutions in the country.

“Having realized that there is no way he can win in a free and fair election, President Buhari is now besieging all democratic institutions, including the judiciary, the legislature, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC while engaging in acts that threaten the unity, peace and corporate existence of our dear nation.

“The whole world can see how President Buhari and APC’s desperation for power is putting the lives of over 200 million Nigerian citizens at great risk as their actions stoke violence and push our dear nation to the precipice.

“We are however not surprised that the APC, a party that has shown that it is completely anti-people, quickly rose in defence of the Buhari-led Presidency’s assault on our democratic order.

“The APC has always been a deceptive soulless mob that would rather have our nation burn than to be out of power. President Obasanjo’s concern is, therefore, a clarion call to all compatriots irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliations to rise in defence of our democracy,” the statement said.

On its own part, the Pan Niger Delta Development Forum (PANDEF), the umbrella body of traditional rulers, leaders, and stakeholders in the region said Presidential Buhari was resorting to the tactics of Abacha in his bid to retain power.

The National Secretary of PANDEF, Dr. Alfred Mulade told reporters that Obasanjo, has through the letter drawn the attention of the world to the numerous plots to rig the 2019 elelctions.

“The truth of the matter is that the country is more aware now that it is a question of rigging of elections, which former president and statesman, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has drawn the attention of the world to.

“PANDEF is saying that if there is any form of rigging, the people will resist it because Nigerians are tired of the present regime.

“The issue of rigging is a matter everybody should put his eyes on and ensure that it does not repeat itself like what happened in Osun State during the gubernatorial election where there ought to have been a clear winner, but the course of victory was reordered to suit the ruling party,” Mulade said.