By Jennifer Y Omiloli
The Presidency has reacted to the alleged attack by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on President Muhammadu Buhari government.
On Sunday, Obasanjo launched several attacks on Buhari and his government in attempt to convince Nigerians not to vote the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming election.
The Presidency responded by asking the former President to tell Nigerians if elections were ever free and fair during his time in office through the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
While counterattacking on Channels TV, Adesina said: “Let me start by saying that President Muhammadu Buhari has abiding respect for former President Olusegun Obasanjo. You know they come from a constituency in which seniority is forever.
“President Obasanjo was superior to President Buhari in the military. President Buhari served under him for three and a quarter years as oil Minister. So, former President Obasanjo is a senior to President Buhari any day any time and President gives him due courtesies whenever they meet.”
Speaking on the statements by Obasanjo, Adesina said: “Talking of the statement today, I can only say that what the former President had said Is his opinion of a man.
“It is so easy for the former President to sit back in his chair reclining and criticise a government but many things that constitute impunity would have happened under his government.
“Like I said and like you have observed it is just an opinion of one man and it doesn’t constitute the gospel.”
Also speaking on allegation of increasing rate of insecurity, he said: “There are security challenges but I tell you that these security challenges are being tackled.
“Even under the time of Obasanjo, there had been Odi killings. Under him was when we had Zaki Biam massacre; under him there were lots OPC clashes; under him there Sharia riot, OPC ethnic clashes, lots of lives lost. So nobody can just come and sit in judgment over another government. When worst things happen under his government.”
On the allegation that the ruling APC was planning to rig the forthcoming elections in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Adesina said, “Yes INEC can always defend itself and I am sure they would.
“But then imagine that kind of allegation coming from somebody who told us in 2007 that the election will be do-or-die and the beneficiary of that election came out to tell us that the election that brought him to power was marred in all respect.
“Now for that kind of a person to come out and tell us that the election will not be going to be free and fair, was there free and fair election when he conducted his own? That is the question Nigerians should be asking.”
