Nothing will stop elections, says Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday said that nothing would stop the February 25 and March 11 elections from holding.

Obasanjo said that Nigeria was in an interesting period, urging the people to take the election with all the seriousness it deserves.

The former president said this while hosting members of the Board of Trustees of the African Democratic Congress at his penthouse residence located within the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.

The BoT members were led by their Chairman, Dr. Mani Ibrahim Ahmed, the national chairman of the party, Prof. Ralph Okey Nwosu and the former Presidential aspirant of the party, Chukwuka Monye.

Obasanjo spoke against the backdrop of the concerns by some Nigerians that the election might be postponed due to the protests staged in many states as a result of scarcity of the newly redesigned Naira notes and fuel.

He said, “We cannot take it (election) any less important than those people (international community).

“We are in an interesting period in Nigeria. In less than three weeks, we will be going to the poll…, well, I hope nothing will intervene against that. In less than three weeks, we will be electing a leader that will pilot the affairs of Nigeria for the next four years from May.

“And all of us in Nigeria, again, as I have said to you, early this morning, I have been in Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire from the beginning of the week, from Sunday and they are as concerned about what happens in Nigeria as every Nigerian should be.

“Last night before I left Abidjan, President Ouattara (Alassane) was telling me the position in West Africa that Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are vying for and he said to me, “well, we are putting it on hold until after Nigeria’s election”. So even for them, Nigeria’s election is of importance. And I believe that for us who are directly involved, we cannot take any less important than those people.

“Your party (ADC) is one significant party in existence in this country and your voice matters. Therefore, I understand why you are here and we are here also as a family, we are all in Nigeria; we are a family, Nigeria family and therefore when we gather together, we can also talk and discuss as members of the same family – Nigeria family for what is of concern to Nigeria.”