Peter Obi: List Of Yoruba Presidential Aspirants Obasanjo Has Refused To Support Their Ambition

The endorsement of Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi by former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has continued to spark outrage from other political parties and party chieftains.

Naija News earlier reported that Obasanjo, in a New Year message titled “My Appeal to all Nigerians, particularly young Nigerians”, endorsed Obi to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

The former Nigerian leader described Peter Obi as a needle with thread attached to it from North and South and he may not get lost.

This is not the first time Obasanjo is refusing to support the presidential ambition of a candidate from the Southwest region.

Ordinarily one would think that Obasanjo would support the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, to become the second president the region has produced in the history of Nigeria, however, that seems not to be the thinking of the former President.

This publication highlights four Yoruba presidential candidates Obasanjo never openly supported their presidential ambition:

1.  Bola Tinubu: Obasanjo in his new year message to Nigerians rubbished the presidential ambition of the APC candidate, saying that his popular cliche ‘Emi Lokan’ (My turn) is a wrong attitude and mentality for Nigeria’s leadership.

The former President urged Nigerians to vote for Peter Obi, in the February 25 poll.

2. MKO Abiola: Despite being his classmate at Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, Obasanjo in 1993 allegedly opposed the presidential ambition of MKO Abiola and also blamed the annulment of the election presumably won by MKO on bad blood.

Surprisingly, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babagana Kingibe, alleged that Obasanjo was one of the architects of the annulment of June 12, 1993.

According to an article published by Vanguard, Kingibe claimed he has video and audio recordings of the events surrounding the election.

He said: “In the aftermath of the annulment, one of the architects of the annulment, former president Olusegun Obasanjo tried to get some elder statesmen, I think at the African Leadership Forum, to see how the aftermath of the annulment could be addressed or to see how the problems arising from the annulment could be addressed.”

However, Afenifere chieftain, Ayo Adebanjo, Obasanjo’s former adviser, Akin Osuntokun, and former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani Kayode, disagreed with Kingibe describing the claim as a lie.

Chief MKO, Abiola

3. Obafemi Awolowo: Former governor of Ogun state, Bisi Akinde, in his book ‘My Participations’ said Obasanjo’s ambition to be the center of attention in Nigeria fuelled the ex-President’s constant hatred for the late Obafemi Awolowo (former Premier of the defunct Western Region).

He claimed that Obasanjo did everything possible to undermine the legacy of Obafemi Awolowo.

He said: It was this vaunting ambition that made him express constant hatred toward the most altruistic and selfless leader of our time, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Obafemi Awolowo

4. Bola Ige: Following the restoration of democracy in 1999, Bola Ige sought the nomination of the Alliance for Democracy party as a presidential candidate, but was rejected.

In an article published by Sahara Reporters, Bisi Akinde said some Afenifere leaders namely Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Olanihun Ajayi, and Alhaji Ganiyu Daudu, moved against Ige because they felt they could not control him as president of Nigeria.

But the former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba alleged that Olusegun Obasanjo was against Bola Ige’s ambition.

He said: “When Obasanjo made up his mind to contest for the presidency, he rushed to Ige’s residence in Ibadan to seek his support. Ige declined, promising him however that they would meet on the field of electoral combat on opposing sides.”

Bola Ige