Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that he left Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when he discovered that the party had been destroyed beyond what he could be associated with at that point.
Obasanjo expressed surprise that some people who destroyed the party made it impossible for it to retain power at the centre, adding that there was no reason why the party should not have ruled Nigeria for 50 years as believed by some people, but that the party caused its own problem.
“That has happened in some other countries like Germany, where a party runs the affairs of the county for decades, but of course, that is not the history in our own case.”
Obasanjo, who spoke when one of the national chairmanship aspirants, Raymond Dokpesi visited him at his Ota farm in Abeokuta, Ogun state today, Saturday, said that those who destroyed the PDP were still in it and that they would not leave until the running of the party is taken over by determined, selfless, upright and honest people.
“If we are just saying PDP has a crisis, which is self-made and that the Supreme Court had resolved the crisis for us, we are just deceiving ourselves.
“The Supreme Court has taken a right decision as an apex court should, but as a party, only that cannot help you to do it all.”
He prayed that PDP would get its national convention right, adding that the chairmanship of the party is very important.
“I had four PDP chairmen under in eight years. So, I know what it takes to have a good or bad chairman for a party.”
The former two-term President advised Dokpesi to use his media assets well for the interest of the country to avoid and correct past mistakes.
Obasanjo, who said that he and some other Nigerians worked hard for the success of the party and the county, advised PDP to manage its success.
Earlier, Dokpesi said that he was in Abeokuta to seek the prayer and blessings of Obasanjo in his ambition to become the PDP national chairman, adding that anyone aspiring to be national chairman of a political party must consult with the former president.
“I am much aware that you are not interested in partisan politics but you are the father of the nation. You are much committed to the unity, stability and continue the existence of this country.
“You have dedicated all your life to the building of this country.
“Therefore, anything that is good for this country is a matter of interest to you,’’ Dokpesi said.
He said that PDP would continue to plead for the forgiveness of Obasanjo for its trespasses and transgressions.
Dokpesi stressed the need for both the ruling and opposition parties to be strong “even as 2019 is fast approaching.”
Source: NAN.[myad]
