Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday warned the political class of different political divides to prioritise Nigeria’s unity, peace and progress ahead of the 2023 general elections, saying politicians and Nigerians as a whole, should steer clear of any action that could break up the country.
Obasanjo, who hosted Uche Secondus, the national chairman of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and some other members of the National Working Committee of PDP at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, the state capital, noted that though 2023 is important, it’s not as important as peace and unity of Nigeria.
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BusinessDay reports that Uche Secondus came to Obasanjo in the company of National Secretary, Ibrahim Tsauri; Party Treasurer, Aribisala Adewale and the Ogun State PDP, Chairman of PDP, Sirikullahi Ogundele and a two-hour closed-door meeting with the former president where Secondus claimed that the visit was non-partisan, saying the challenges of Nigeria require all hands on deck, to salvage the nation.
Speaking on the state of the nation, Obasanjo affirmed that though the situation of Nigeria is very bad, it is not irredeemable and every right-thinking individual knows that the “Nigeria situation is very bad, but it is not irredeemable.”
He added, “We do not have the luxury of time, some people are talking about 2023; 2023 is important, 2023 is not as important as being able to package Nigeria as a wholesome peace, the unity up to and beyond 2023 with security and understanding, with development and progress.
“And I couldn’t agree with you more, every right-thinking Nigerian and every lover of Nigeria will agree that Nigeria is not what it should be today unless there is something else wrong with them.
“The situation is bad, very bad, but the situation is not irredeemable. That is where the hope lies. The situation is very bad, but it is not hopelessly irredeemable. Therefore we need all hands on deck. Let’s put partisan politics apart and think of what we can do to get Nigeria to where it is supposed to be and move Nigeria forward.”
Speaking earlier, PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, said he came to Obasanjo as an elder statesman for his advice on the present government and governance.
“I am here with the members of my team and as well as the PDP executives in Ogun State to tap from the wealth of Baba’s knowledge as a statesman. It has been very difficult lately because Baba is a global personality, resolving issues across the world. In fact, the last place I learnt Baba visited was Afghanistan, despite the situation in that country, he went there and came back alive.
“ So, my team and I are very grateful and we give glory to God. We have discussed Nigeria. Nigeria first before any other thing. Yes, we belong to a political party, but if we don’t have a country, where do we practice democracy? We need to have a peaceful country where democracy can strive and at this point, we need Chief Obasanjo to come in with solutions.
“We are aware of the insecurity, the poor economy, banditry, kidnapping all over the country; and we can’t continue to watch without reaching out to the elders so that they can come to gather and advise the present government. That is the duty of a statesman”, Secondus explained.
