A former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday insisted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, Atiku Abubakar, was better than President Muhammadu Buhari “by far.”

He also asked the PDP to purge itself of “bad eggs and hypocrites”, who according to him, lack the commitment and goodwill to return the opposition party to its lost glory.

Obasanjo spoke when South-West PDP leaders led by the party’s National Vice Chairman (South West), Dr Eddy Olafeso visited him at his Pent-House residence inside Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Among those at the meeting are; Senate Minority Leader, Biodun Olujimi, Senators-elect, Oyo South, Kola Balogun, Ondo Central, Ayo Akinyelure, Rep-elect (Ibarapa North and Central), Hon Ajibola Muraina, former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Minister for State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada and PDP gubernatorial candidate in Ekiti State 2018 election, Prof Olusola Eleka.

Also at the meeting are former Deputy Governor of Lagos, Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, former Deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedoku, PDP Governorship candidate in 2017 Ondo State Governorship election, Eyitayo Jegede SAN among others.

The Ota-farmer, who maintained that he critically compared Buhari and Atiku’s competence before settling for the latter in the last election, bemoaned what he called failure of leadership, saying Nigeria cannot move forward “if we continue the way we are.”

According to him, Nigeria demands a vibrant voice and opposition in PDP with a view to building a virile democracy.

The former President who pointed out that many leaders of the party are after “their pockets and stomach”, wondered why some top echelon have left the party while others had lost hope shortly after the results of 2019 Presidential election was announced.

For PDP to bounce back, Obasanjo said the party must purge itself of hypocrites and bad eggs, and shop for those he called “critical mass of committed people.”

“I said if you compare the two of them (referring to Atiku and Buhari); with what I know and all I have written about the incumbent (President) which they have decided to cover up, Atiku is better than the incumbent by far. That’s the point I am making. And nobody is perfect.

“I am not a perfect person. I have my shortcomings. If I deny my shortcomings, it means I am not being truthful to myself. But, my shortcomings has nothing to do with my love for Nigeria. It has nothing to do with being greedy or selfishness,” Obasanjo said.

Earlier in his address, Olafeso explained that the visit was to celebrate Obasanjo on his 82nd birthday which he marked recently and equally thank him for his support for the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 elections.

•Sourced from a Daily Trust report

•Ex- President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in a group photograph with South West leaders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during their visit to him in Abeokuta, Ogun state on Monday. PHOTOS BY: Peter Moses

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