By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Oyo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday, described the Friday verbal assault on Oke Ogun traditional rulers by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Iseyin as premeditated and uncalled for.
The party in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Wale Sadare berated Chief Obasanjo for what it called his outburst on the traditional rulers and by ordering them to stand up and then sit down at a public function during he commissioning of LAUTECH campus in Iseyin.
Oyo APC emphasized that Chief Obasanjo’s verbal assault against the traditional rulers was not accidental or coincidental but premeditated, scripted and purposely delivered as a prize to people who had defied the former president on his mission to enthrone Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party against the popular choice of Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC in the last presidential election.
According to Oyo State APC, “It is evident that Chief Obasanjo used the avenue of his invitation to the road project commissioning to get back at certain individuals who openly rejected his presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the build up to the last general election”.
” We recall that one of the monarchs on seat appeared on some private radio stations during the electioneering and mobilized support for Tinubu who won the election eventually. This did not go down well with the former president and he used the opportunity handed down to him by Gov. Makinde to hit back at his target”, it said.
Oyo State APC added, “We condemn in strong terms the conduct of Chief Obasanjo who threw decorum to the wind on account of being a former president and chose to desecrate the rich culture and traditions of the Yoruba people.
” By assaulting the monarchs, who were at the occasion on invitation, the Owu-born former President had shown to the world that he was not worth his status as a statesman, title chief and leader on the African continent.”
The party stressed, “It is on record that despite ruling Nigeria for a combined period of 12 years, Obasanjo did not make a significant impact on the lives of the people of Oyo State as the best he did (and still does) was removing an elected governor of the state and refusing to add value in the areas of infrastructure, wealth creation and empowerment of our people.
” So, the good people of the Pacesetter State do not hold him in high esteem and they expect little or nothing from him even if has another opportunity to become president again in future. However, there is a pertinent question begging for answer regarding the choice of Obasanjo as the chairman of the occasion at the instance of Gov. Makinde.
” The simple truth is that the whole scenario has further exposed the hypocrisy in Gov. Makinde who has done everything possible to claim the glory of President Bola Tinubu’s victory in Oyo State in the February 25 presidential election”.
Oyo State APC noted, “How can you be loyal to two opposing characters in a political contest at the same time? It is obvious, Obasanjo is anti-Tinubu and Makinde is also pro-Obasanjo while we watch keenly as the governor continues his tricky game in the political space”.
