More reactions have trailed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s endorsement of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The Spokesperson for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council and Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamio (SAN), said Obasanjo was within his rights to endorse Obi.
Keyamo said the endorsement meant that Obasanjo did not think his former deputy and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, deserved to be President.
He believed that the former President’s choice does not affect APC presidential flagbearer Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
He tweeted: “Quite within OBJ’s right to endorse anyone, but bad for PDP in two ways:
“Atiku’s former boss does not think he deserves to be President this time around.
“The little support OBJ gave PDP in 2019 & they failed; he has taken that away to LP. No effect at all on @officialABAT.”
On his own, Director, Public Affairs of the Campaign Council, Dino Melaye, disagreed with Obasanjo’s reference to age as a reason for choosing Obi.
He argued that if America, the most civilised democracy on earth, can elect 70-year-old Joe Biden as President, then age does not matter.
Elder statesman Tanko Yakasai also slammed Obasanjo for endorsing Obi, who he predicted would come third.
He concluded: “Obasanjo’s endorsement is insignificant.
“The 2023 contest is a race between two top contenders, and even the gap between the major contenders is so wide that no one will waste his or her vote on a contestant that is far far behind these big two.”
An APC member, Adamu Garba, claimed Obasanjo was envious of his party’s presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He tweeted: “Envy is an immense disease. I respect & continue to respect General Olusegun Obasanjo.
“However, I advise him to outgrow his envy of Tinubu at this stage of his life.
“Obasanjo is desperately envious of the rise and shine of Bola Ahmed Tinubu; his loss in this one is sure to come.”