According to reports, there is a growing tension in the camp
of the All Progressives Congress, APC presidential
candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari over the refusal of
ex-President, Olusegun Obasanjo to endorse him ahead of
the Feb. 14 presidential election.
Equally troubling, according to a report by Pointblank News,
is the unending animosity between the APC presidential
candidate and former military president, General Ibrahim
Babangida. Buhari had in a recent interview given
indications that he is still not happy with Babangida for
sacking his military administration while Babangida, in turn,
gave a veiled endorsement to Buhari’s opponent at the
presidential contest during a visit of the Nigerian president
to his Minna abode. Babangida had called on Nigerians to
vote for President Jonathan for the unity of the country.
Though it is still not clear why Obasanjo is shying away
from endorsing Buhari, Pointblank News, quoting sources
close to Obasanjo suggests that the ex-president’s
reluctance may be connected with a report by the Petroleum
(Special) Trust Fund (PTF) Interim Management Committee,
instituted by Obasanjo on July 7, 1999.
According to the report of the committee, the PTF under
Buhari’s supervision was mismanaged. Though the report
was never made public nor acted upon by the former
president. The Committee was said to have advised
Obasanjo to “set up a high powered judicial panel to
recover the huge public fund that was mismanaged and
also take necessary action against any officer, consultant
or contractor whose negligence resulted in the colossal loss
of public funds.”
The report of the committee indicated that the sum of N25,
758,532,448 was mismanaged by the Afri-Project
Consortium, a company contracted by the PTF as
management and project consultants.
According to the report, Buhari, as PTF chairman, was said
to have also “delegated to Afri-Projects the power of
assume absolute control on PTF to initiate, approve and
execute all projects by the PTF.
APC sources however say that the body language of
Obasanjo is troubling to the party because it is at variance
with his earlier promise
According to the APC sources, Obasanjo had promised
supporting whoever emerged as APC presidential candidate,
though cautioning that the party must not field an unclean
“vessel” when Asiwaju Bola Tinubu visited his Abeokuta
residence.
An APC source say that contrary to his promise, Obasanjo
has “weeks after Buhari emerged has avoided him, and has
not accepted the request that the party brings Buhari and
Osinbajo to his house, it is very troubling”.
According to the sources, some APC top shots believe
Obasanjo is playing games with both parties. They express
worry at his moves. Another source, who is a member of
the APC’s presidential campaign council, said, “We don’t
know the game he is playing. He tells us Goodluck Jonathan
must be stopped, he maligns him and his administration
daily, but last Saturday he appeared at his daughter’s
wedding. We don’t understand him. It is like he is
bargaining and playing safe with Jonathan, in case he wins”
Reacting, Chief Oyewole Fasawe, a long standing associate
of the former president, said in a statement that Obasanjo
sees the current political gladiators in all the parties as his
political children and associates; hence, he would not
endorse one over the other no matter the amount of
pressure from any quarters.
“Baba has not endorsed anyone and has not condemned
anyone. A statesman of his stature and pedigree can only
pray and work towards peace and progress in Nigeria,
Africa and the world at large. Those trying to exploit his
friendliness to gain political advantage over other
contenders are being unfair and doing so without
Obasanjo’s approval,”he said. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL AND TOUCHING NIGERIAN CELEBRITIES BIOGRAPHY AND SCANDALS
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