2019: Why Obasanjo may withdraw endorsement of Atiku – Arewa forum

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has said that former president
Olusegun Obasanjo might change his mind by withdrawing his endorsement
of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), before the 2019 elections.

Anthony Sani, Secretary-General of the forum, described Obasanjo as an
inconsistent leader who "does not accommodate conviction and vision
expected of a statesman of his status".

Sani cited some instances of Obasanjo's inconsistencies where he tore
his PDP membership card and said he was done with partisan politics.

He observed that Obasanjo later formed a non-partisan movement,
Coalition for Nigerian Movement (CNM), which coalesced into the
African Democratic Congress (ADC), a political party.

Sani told Independent on Sunday: "Former President Obasanjo is a
factor in national politics having governed the country under both
military and democracy.

"His commitment to one united Nigeria cannot be taken away from him,
but whether such attributes can translate into electoral value is in
doubt. More so that Obasanjo has been a product beyond himself.

"When the late Murtala Muhammed was assassinated in 1976, the military
hierarchy at that time asked Obasanjo to take over as Head of State.

"It was not his efforts that got him the position. Also in 1999, the
retired Generals and Northern leaders went and brought him out and
made him the president. These are not his personal efforts. So,
Obasanjo is a product of forces beyond him."

He said despite the former president's endorsement of Atiku as his
choice for the 2019 presidential election, Nigerians and Atiku were
not rejoicing yet because Obasanjo was unpredictable and might change
his mind before the elections.

"As to whether Nigerians will pander to the former president's
endorsement of the presidential candidate of the main opposition party
is also in doubt, precisely because of his inconsistency that does not
accommodate conviction and vision expected of a statesman of his
status.

"Consider the former president tore his party card of PDP and wrote
off both APC and PDP as unserviceable. He then formed a nonpartisan
Coalition Movement which he later transmuted to a political party
called ADC against his earlier 'new year resolution' not to be
partisan.

"Former President Obasanjo said God would not forgive him if he
endorsed his former VP for president, only for him to now leave his
ADC and endorse Atiku.

"I believe not only Nigerians but even Atiku himself cannot bask in
the glow of the endorsement by Obasanjo out of the fear that the
manifest inconsistency can make him change his mind before the
elections," Sani added.