January 2,2023

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent endorsement of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for presidency in the February election has generated mixed reactions in the polity.

A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bolaji Akinyemi, on Sunday night, slammed the former President for pretending to be a problem solver.

Obasanjo had in a New Year letter addressed to Nigerians endorsed the former Anambra State Governor for the highest position in the country.

The former president described Obi as the best candidate among those jostling to succeed Buhari in May, in terms of competence, character and capacity.

He also urged Nigerians, especially the youth, to vote wisely in the interest of development the country inevitably deserves

Speaking in the interview however, Akinyemi berated the former President’s intervention in politics and asked him to stop making pretentious recommendations on the situation of the country

Some of us believe that he is also part of the foundation of the problems we have in this country. One of the things I had said is if you have occupied that position and you have served your term, please go home and be like General Gowon, Abdulsalam, etc. Just be quiet”, the ex-minister said.

You had your terms. Let others get on. For you to create problems for us and then come back to present yourself as a problem solver is worrisome”, he added.

Akinyemi further advocated genuine overhaul of the Nigerian political system, adding that only a president with the courage and tenacity to shake the system can succeed.

“I can’t believe in my life how a president can succeed if we don’t do something quickly about the system being presided over. We need a president that will shake the National Assembly, make tough decisions and change the system”, he concluded