Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose criticised former President Olusegun Obasanjo after the latter, on the occasion of the 11th convocation of Benson Idahosa University (BIU) Benin, Edo State said that the “performance of Jonathan while in office will hunt the people of the South-South region for a long time to come.”
Speaking via a statement issued on Monday, July 20, 2015 by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said that the South South had already shown their approval of Jonathan’s stewardship by voting massively for him in the Saturday, March 28, 2015 presidential election.
He said: “Dr Goodluck Jonathan is no longer the president of Nigeria, he should be allowed to live a private life devoid of mudslinging from elder statesmen like Chief Obasanjo.
“Most importantly, Jonathan’s performance as a democrat has been widely acknowledged locally and internationally, particularly by President Mohammadu Buhari, who on many occasions acknowledged the role he (Jonathan) played in midwifing a peaceful and successful transition programme, thereby averting the feared crisis in the country.
“This is in contrast to Baba Obasanjo, who tried third term when he was about concluding his constitutional two terms. And who knows whether he would have tried fourth term if he had succeeded with his third term agenda?
“The reality is, assuming but not conceding that Jonathan performed below expectation, democratic governance that he established in Nigeria is more important than any other performance that Obasanjo alluded to.
“We are all stakeholders in the country Nigeria. It is wrong for any Nigerian no matter how highly placed to go about carrying himself around as the only honest and lover of the country.
“Since Baba Obasanjo has openly destroyed his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) membership card, he is free to go about seeking relevance in the All Progressives Congress (APC) without running anyone down.”
Governor Fayose also added that Nigerians are still aware of those involved in the Halliburton scandal, stating that those who live in glass house should not throw stones, as Obasanjo did not have the moral right to brand other people as corrupt.