BEVERLY HILLS, January 25, (THEWILL) – Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo says he will support the South-east geopolitical zone to produce the next president of Nigeria come 2019, revealing that it was the desire for a just and fair country that made him to work for a South-south man to become president.
Obasanjo, who upheld this as his personal view, stated that the issues of justice, marginalisation have been a major source of conflicts between ethnic and regional divisions in the country.
He spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Tuesday, when the leadership of the Ogun State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, paid him a visit.
The influential ex-president said, “But irrespective of the thinking of the people ahead of 2019, I personally think that South-east should have a go at the presidency too.”
He maintained that it is in the same interest of justice and fairness that Ogun west senatorial district in Ogun state should be allowed to produce the next governor of the state.
His words, “the same is happening here. If Ijebu and Egba have produced the governor, it is only fair and just to allow the Yewa or Ogun West to also produce governor. Or else, one day, they will also stand up and take up arms against this injustice against them. That is my personally position on this.
Speaking on the crisis in Southern Kaduna, Obasanjo warned Nigerians against commenting on what they do not really have a detailed reports of, saying “as this is largely responsible for the escalation of the situation.”
He said: “My findings so far show that everyone is talking from the position of strength. People are not talking from knowledge of what they know and this is not helping. We must be able to dump all our sentiments to overcome the challenges.
“Just like other cases of injustice around us, we need peace; it is only peace with justice that can solve all these crises. Genuine peace is what everyone is craving for and this can only come when there is justice.”
In his remarks, the state Chairman of CAN, Bishop Tunde Akinsanya, described Obasanjo as a special gift to Nigeria and the entire world, considering his exploits and the fatherly role so far played by him.
While commending the ex-president for facilitating the building of Ecumenical Centre in Abuja, he disclosed that CAN-led by him was also working on a similar project in the state.
Akinsanya, however, appealed for the support of Obasanjo in actualising the project in the state, even as he congratulated the former president on his forthcoming 80th birthday.
