Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has punctured the rumour making the rounds that he had no preferred candidate in the forth-coming presidential election.
The former president, in a press statement issued by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, declared that he was not neutral in matters concerning the 2019 general elections.
Obasanjo had, in an address at the 27th annual Owu National Convention held in Iwo, Osun State, urged Nigerians to vote for credible candidates who will drive growth and development.
He was also widely quoted to have said he would not campaign for any particular candidate and instead urged Nigerians to vote wisely.
But in a twist of interpretation, his media aide said Obasanjo’s statement did not connote ‘neutrality’.
However, the spokesman corroborated the NAN report that Obasanjo said “he would not impress any candidates on the people, Nigerians should vote for credible candidates who would make their lives better”.
“It is disingenuous, if not malicious, for anyone to suggest that Chief Obasanjo was being neutral when he chose not to use the Owu Convention as a platform for political campaign but instead adopt a communal and familial approach in talking to members of his Owu family,” Akinyemi said.
Akinyemi insisted Obasanjo’s statement did not suggest his neutrality.
He said Obasanjo will not sit on the fence when he needs to be active for people to know where he stands in the nation’s interest.
“In fact, the former President believes that only a fool will sit on the fence or be neutral when his or her country is being destroyed with incompetence, corruption, lack of focus, insecurity, nepotism, brazen impunity and denial of the obvious. Chief Obasanjo is no such fool nor is he so unwise,” Akinyemi said.
He noted that Obasanjo has reaffirmed that he was on the side of what was best for the country.
The former President asked Nigerians to ‘stop complaining and go out to get beneficial change’, stressing that such change would not come if they remain complacent and inactive.