Obasanjo Dumps PDP Candidate, Declares Support for Amosun osundefender.org/?p=206268 Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday openly declared his support for the re-election of the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. Also on the same day, constitutional lawyer and human rights advocate, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), said the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, was not qualified to contest the February 14 presidential election. The former president explained that in spite of being in a different political party with the governor, his choice of Amosun was based on merit and not that of any political party. In a swift reaction to the support for Amosun, the Ogun State Chapter of the party called on its National Working Committee to sanction Obasanjo for anti-party activities. Obasanjo who spoke in his Abeokuta Hiltop residence while receiving Igbo leaders from Ogun and Lagos States declared his intention to vote for the return of Amosun in next month general election despite being in the PDP. Obasanjo said: “In 2011, we were not together; though we were together before and I campaigned against him. But, see what he has been able to do in the last three and half years in the state. I cannot sacrifice performance for party.” Obasanjo subsequently sought the support of the South-east indigenes residents in Ogun State for Amosun in the February 28 governorship election. Obasanjo added: I never dream of having a bridge on dry land in Ogun State in my life time. Yes, we have Ogun River, where there is a bridge, but, on a dry land. Go to Ijebu, Sagamu and Ota. I am seeing bridges, not even one or two. “This is a development that some of us in our 60s, 70s even 50s would have thought would be a mirage during our life time. Apart from this, it will bring development that future governments shall be major beneficiaries. So, my people, I am not talking about other elections. I have come to tell you that in order to appreciate what this personality has been able to do in the last three and half years, let us give him our votes. Obasanjo however emphasized that if the situation changes, after the governor must have been re-elected, he should be held responsible. Meanwhile, the Ogun State PDP in a statement said: “We think the appropriate organs of the party (NWC) will have the courage to sanction him (Obasanjo) for anti-party activities. “We in the Ogun State PDP are not surprised at his latest action but it really does not amount to much. For us, it means the beginning of APCs failure. What did his endorsement of Tunji Olurin translate into in 2011 elections? Ozekhome: Buhari is not qualified to contest… Ozekhome, who spoke on Africa Independent Television (AIT) Kakaaki programme, on General Buhari’s raging certificate saga, stated that the APC presidential candidate did not comply with the provisions of the electoral law in filling the nomination form he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) According to him, “I know that Nigerians would be curious about why this matter is just coming up for the first time and that after all, this man had contested the last three Presidential elections. “Well, I wish to state that I have done, by God’s grace, a lot of election petition matters and I know that up till 2011, INEC form simply provides that candidates should state their qualifications. In other words, just say that I have O’Level; I have B.Sc; I have BL etc; then, you go and sit down. “But right now, the rule has changed. Form CF001, says apart from filling your qualifications, you must attach them; you must attach photocopies of your qualifications; and, to attach means to bind; it means to glue-to. As we are looking at your form that you have filled, I have to see your NYSC certificate, all your qualifications /certificates must be attached to your form. “So, if you do not attach them, you have not satisfied the minimum requirements; it is therefore not proper to refer INEC to go on a wild goose chase, go and look elsewhere for my qualifications.” Ozekhome said that General Buhari’s decision to refer INEC to the Secretary of the Military Board for his credentials was like an applicant referring the interviewer to the last place he or she worked. According to him, “It is like, as an applicant, you want a job, you come before your interviewers; your interviewers say, we have looked at the form you filled for this job; we have not seen your certificates; and you say, the last place I worked, they have photocopy of my certificates, go and ask them. “That is wrong. The military board we are talking about will also be in possession of the document of the respected general. But, before he submitted the documents to the military board, it is taken that he had possession of his own documents; all he needs to do is to attach the photocopy of his document to his form; and, if there is any question to be asked, you can refer to the places where you went to school; mind you, not the military board.” Ozekhome said that section 131 of the constitution is very clear that the candidate must have not below school certificate level, or its equivalent, and its equivalent means GCE, WASC, NECO, etc; those are its equivalents. “Now, if you do not have any of these qualifications, what you will do is to apply to WAEC or NECO, and say my certificates are lost, burnt or stolen by armed robbers; I will want you to issue me a letter certifying that I have this qualification. “That was what happened in the case of the Vice-President, Muhammadu Sambo, because I have been following this case very seriously, because it is very crucial to our democratic norms and values. I am interested in how we can expand the space, deepen and widen the aptitude of democracy.”
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 07:14:57 +0000
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