Sunday, March 27, 2011

Bode George: Obasanjo is a Lair – Opadokun

Bode George: Obasanjo is a Lair – Opadokun Ayodele Samuel,Lagos Chief Ayo Opadokun, the National Coordinator of Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER) say former president Olusesgun Obasanjo has been accused of flagrant lies to the public concerning his responses to issues on recent developments in the country. Opadokun in a statement stated that Obasanjo’s diatribe on Bode George and Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the governor of Ogun State lacks moral ground, saying that a response to his hypocritical comments is expedient especially ‘‘‘when the destiny of a Nation is being rubbished by a tragic hero personality in his undue quest to appropriate to himself unmerited infallibility’’. The CODER National Coordinator who described Obasanjo a self – exaggerated individual, stated that the former presidents moral history is replete with hypocrisy, deceit and friendship betrayal, adding that ‘’General Obasanjo has a warped reason about immorality and his born-again status when his public and private life are the opposite of decency is in the public domain’’. ‘The most repugnant behaviour of the enigma called OBJ is his regular habit of lying and falsifying events. OBJ’s unbelievably discredited status has reached a state where whenever he says good morning to you, it is in your best interest to open your window blind to confirm. OBJ’S recent statements on Bode George and Governor Daniel are typical hypocritical lifestyle of the Owu Chieftain’’ Opadokun posited. He stated that the former president knew that he was lying when he claimed that he was lured into the reception held for Bode George in Lagos, the event which he described as ‘celebration of criminality’. Opadokun explained further: ‘’the fact that the Owu Chief attended the ceremony before he became an opponent of the social party clearly illustrates the OBJ double face lifestyle. A decent man should have acknowledged the strident campaign of some of us who had spoken immediately against the Owambe party because we were mindful of the possible negative effects it will have on the young people generally and the Yoruba offspring in particular. On Obasanjo’s comment on the governance failure of Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration in Ogun State in the last eight years, Opadokun pointed out that the former president was being mischievous; as ‘’it came after his PDP faction’s primaries in Ogun State have been accepted by a Federal High Court as the authentic one’’. He further described the Obasanjo’s statement on Ogun as being hypocritical ‘’because he and Daniel were in power between 2003 and 2007 as comrades in arms and he never publicly or otherwise rebuked Daniel for non-performance’’. ‘’For eight years, Gen. Obasanjo had the best opportunity in the world to transform Nigeria. Funding and human resources were available in all ramifications. Furthermore, throughout his eight years in office, crude oil sold at very unprecedented high prices. Yet Obasanjo cannot point at any project that was successfully executed and commissioned’’ he added.

ATD endorses Goodluck Jonathan ahead of 2011 poll

ATD endorses Goodluck Jonathan ahead of 2011 poll Ayodele Samuel,Lagos With few weeks ahead of the presidential election the Agenda for Transparent Democracy (ATD) has endorses the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan as the best option for Nigeria at this crucial moment in history. The group in a statement sign by its National Coordinator Babalola Medayedupin said “Following close monitoring of the electoral process so far, ATD unequivocally submits that the merits in President Jonathan’s candidature far outweigh, by all standards, whatever arguments that may be proffered to the contrary.” ATD added that the 2011 Presidential election is unique and critical to democratic consolidation. “this is not just another periodic election but an opportunity for Nigerian to demonstrate love for our dear country by speaking out clearly, with our votes, in support of one, united, indivisible Nigeria. 2011 Presidential election is a golden opportunity to reassert our collective desire to move the country ahead over and above primordial differences, political revisionism and divisive ambitions.” Medayedupin said ATD as a group firmly believes that the choice of leadership is vital to the growth of democracy in any society. “ATD wishes to draw the attention of Nigerians to our peculiar democratic journey since the restoration of civil rule in 1999. It is important to again reassert that the track record of President Jonathan speaks volume of the experiences he has garnered in the last twelve years of our democratic experiment. For a man who has been Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President and President, there is no doubt that President Jonathan clearly towers over and above his opponents in the April 2011 Presidential election.” The group said that President Jonathan has learnt “the rope; weather the storm of power; and mastered the art of governance with so much trepidation and assiduity.” It would therefore be in the interest of Nigeria and indeed a great honour to our collective history as a people to vote massively for Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and return him as President on 29th May, 2011. The group said that President Jonathan has demonstrated through his team of campaigners, that he understands the chemistry of nation-building through effective mobilisation of citizens across ethnic, social, economic and political barriers to propagate a national agenda. “This key attribute of patriotic zeal manifests largely from the array of entertainment professionals, students/youth, leaders of thoughts, civil society actors, businessmen, labour, women, artisans and several others who have been rallied to propagate Goodluck Jonathan’s message of restoration and national rebirth.”