Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of grandstanding in order to cover up his past shortcomings and misdemeanors.
The Senator made it clear that “Nigerians cannot be fooled by Obasanjo’s grandstanding in an effort to cover up his misdemeanors.”
Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who represents Nasarawa West Senatorial District, advised the former President not to push his luck over his constant attack on President Muhammadu Buhari, which he described as “indecorous and undignified.”
He agreed that Obasanjo is entitled to criticize and also campaign against the reelection bid of President Buhari, but that he should not be “pedestrian in doing that.”
Senator Abdullahi Adamu who reacted to the recent comments credited to Obasanjo, said that there is no doubt that “Chief Obasanjo is pushing his luck too far by using indecorous language in criticizing the President (Buhari).
“After all, what was his (Obasanjo’s) record in Office when he ran this country first from February 1976 to October 1979, and subsequently from May 1999 to May 2007?
“Would there have been the desperate and notoriously corrupt bid for a third term in office that was witnessed by Nigerians, if he had a good record by then?”
According to Adamu, under Obasanjo’s watch, most of Nigeria’s strategic investments were sold without much to show as returns to the nation.
“What happened to all our steel rolling mills and other strategic investments that were sold by (former Vice President) Atiku (Abubakar) under Obasanjo’s supervision?
“What about the $16 billion spent under his watch supposedly for electricity? Where is the electricity today? He also acquired stupendous wealth during his second coming as president. How did he acquire that? Could that have come from his salaries as president from 1999 to 2007?”
The Senator, who is former Nasarawa State Governor, insisted that no Nigerian of repute who knows Obasanjo’s antecedents will be surprised at his current criticism of President Buhari.
“He had done it to Alhaji Shehu Shagari shortly after he handed over to him. Obasanjo criticized Babangida when he was in power; he did same to Abacha. And so, nothing is surprising.
“Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered about Obasanjo’s criticisms given what is already out in the public space about the morally questionable happenings within his household.
“But he is going off the tangent of fair comment in this circumstance, and I believe eminent citizens of this country need to call him to order before some of the young people he thinks he can fool start casting slur on him.”
Senator Abdullahi Adamu said that basanjo needed to learn some lessons in decorum from past leaders like General Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, as well as Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar.
For the lawmaker, it is an abuse of rights for someone who is regarded as a statesman to be indecorous in his language.
“Like I said, he is entitled to criticise Buhari and even campaign against him.
“Nobody can deny him that right. But must he descend to this ridiculously undignified level for him to be heard?”
“It is unacceptable for someone whom the youths of this country should look up to for inspiration to stoop so low in his language.”
He stressed that the unprintable words that the former president had used to tar former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the book “My Watch” are still fresh in the minds of Nigerians.
“He (Obasanjo) should go back and make peace with his Creator before turning round to dish out some homilies to citizens of this great country.”
