Hon. Afam Ogene, a former member of the House of Representatives and House of Representatives candidate of the Labour Party for Ogbaru Federal Constituency has said that those criticizing and attacking former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his recent public declaration of support for Peter Obi, are dishonourable, and have exhibited intolerance of alternative views and disrespect for the elderly.

According to him, this negates the values of African culture and principles of democracy that thrived on the plurality of opinions and freedom of choice.

Ogene contended that in spite of former President Obasanjo’s known or alleged human frailties or shortcomings, the vicious attacks on his person and character, remained uncharitable and condemnable.

He as well observed that Chief Obasanjo was not alone in the attacks. He named other elder statesmen equally being trolled by agents of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) for similarly endorsing Obi of the Labour Party as Pa Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Edwin Clark.

He said: “While Pa Adebanjo is a leader of the pan Yoruba group, Afenifere, Clark heads the apex Niger Delta group, PANDEF.

“Such disrespect and wild deployment of denigrating language and sly innuendos against the elders, coming especially from very senior politicians, journalists and media managers, in APC, is symptomatic of their false claims of being adherents of democracy.

“On the contrary, their current disposition easily mirrors the deceit, temperament and inner demons of both the marketers and the product being marketed as alleged ‘hero of democracy’ and self-acclaimed heir to the throne”.

Ogene, in the statement he issued in Awka, Anambra State, on Sunday, January 8, 2023, said that no reasonable person burns down an invaluable library of leadership experience and knowledge – which the trio of Obasanjo, Adebanjo and Clark represent – on the altar of partisan preference and selfish political ambition, just because the views expressed do not fit into their personal agenda.

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