Buhari’s second term bid: Mind your business, Tinubu warns Obasanjo

For daring to stop Muhammadu Buhari from his second term ambition, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was yesterday warned to stay off the ruling All Progressives Congress and mind his own business.
National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who described the ex-president as an “election rigger and busybody”, said Obasanjo lacked moral right to dictate what APC and Buhari should do.
The warning came amidst assurances from President Buhari that the APC-led government would give Nigerians a better deal.
The President also said that with the emergence of the new party leadership, Nigerians should expect to see more development, adding that the country will be taken to greater heights.
The duo spoke at the end of the APC 2018 National Convention in Abuja, where former Edo state Governor, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, was unanimously elected to lead a 40-man National Working Committee for the next four years.
In his remark at the event, Tinubu recalled how some leaders called him not to anoint and embrace a former general (Buhari), who, according to them, lacked in democratic credentials.
But he expressed satisfaction with Buhari for not letting Nigerians down by plugging leakages and recovering looted fund.
The former Lagos governor who thanked President Buhari for presenting himself to run for another term, urged the new NWC not to abuse the trust reposed in them.
“I almost changed my name to Thomas because I doubted the success of the convention.
I called the Jigawa governor (even though I had not called the President), and he assured that they were on course.
Buhari lived up to our expectations.
“When we came together before 2015, there were 12 cases in court to stop us and steal our name.
There was nothing that was not done; the judiciary stood its ground, so INEC.
“I remember one uncle back then who had been a general himself, and who had been an elected president (Olusegun Obasanjo), I call him election rigger, he had the effrontery to say Buhari must not run again.
Why will you say Buhari must not run again? In which party? Thank God he is not a member of our party.
“We hold our future in our hands, so what is your business busybody? Unfortunately he has torn the card of his previous party, so he does not have one anymore.
They say I should not follow this man (Buhari).
They said we don’t need a general now and I replied them that, when Boko Haram is gone and there is peace, we won’t need general again in our democracy.
You (Obasanjo) have not set half of the record of this general who is now a democrat.
You (Buhari) have not tried to dismantle the National Assembly or remove governors.
Thank you Muhammadu Buhari for the work you are doing,” Tinubu said.
The APC national leader also noted that by its conduct during the convention, APC has shown internal democratic process in its change of leadership that was not marred with violence, adding that contrary to the assertion of naysayers, the party did not “explode” at the convention.
“Today, we have changed our chairman through an election – not at gun point, ask Audu Ogbeh.
Thank God, we have been able to stop looting and abuse of power,” Tinubu said.
Acceptance speech In his acceptance speech, the new National Chairman, Comrade Oshiomhole asked all aggrieved party members, most especially members of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) to remain in the party they jointly built, assuring that his leadership would resume work today (Monday) to commence tackling some of the challenges confronting the party.
He also assured the aggrieved members that his leadership would put in place conflict resolution mechanism to prevent escalation of crisis.
Specifically, the new national chairman called for an effective reward system for members who have worked for the success of the party at all levels.
While paying tribute to the founding fathers of the party, Oshiomhole saluted Chief Bisi Akande and Asiwaju Tinubu for their role in strengthening the party.
He also appreciated the immediate past National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, saying, since 1999 “no national chairman of any political party has accomplished what Chief Oyegun did.” Saraki, Dogara urge justice In his remarks, Senate President Bukola Saraki, said the responsibility of leadership is to address challenges, urging the party not to pretend that there were no challenges to be addressed.
Expressing confidence in the new leadership of the party, Saraki said, “we look into the future, we work together.
Can we have challenges? Of course yes, we do.
But responsible leadership takes on those challenges while an irresponsible one will not.
As much as possible, let us stamp out justice and have respect for one another,” noting that the “intention of all of us is to make Nigeria better.” Speaking in similar vein, Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, also expressed confidence in the new leadership, but demanded that justice should be done to all and sundry in APC.
“One issue that I want him to dwell on is the issue of justice…
It is important for the new leadership of the party to create room for the weak and embrace justice,” Dogara stated.
While reeling out the achievements of the current administration, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, described the new party chair “as a true reflection of the saying that no matter how short a man is, he will see the sky.” He said the administration had done so well in bringing up the economy via various measures aimed at restoring fiscal discipline.