Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has surrendered in the war he started, refusing to respond to issues raised by incumbent President Goodlick Jonathan in his reply to the former’s open letter of December 2.

Jonathan in his 11-page letter dated December 20 but released to the media last night lambasted Obasanjo, accusing him of mischief and of being guilty of worse crimes than the ones he wrongly accused him of committing.

Expectations that Obasanjo would respond to Jonathan’s letter were, however, dashed today when his spokesman, Mr. Tunde Oladunjoye, ruled out that possibility at a media briefing held at the former president’s hilltop residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Mr. Oladunjoye distributed a statement which reads as follows: “Since the publication of the letter written by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, which was in response to the letter earlier written by revered former President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR; we have received several requests from local and international media asking to know Chief Obasanjo’s reaction to Mr. President’s response.

“One, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, acknowledges Mr. President’s letter/response. However, Baba, as he already indicated in his December 2, 2013 letter, does not wish to make further comments beyond the contents of his last letter to Mr. President or react to the said letter/response from Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan,” the statement further stated.

Obasanjo, through the statement, however, expressed tremendous respect for the office of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Chief Olusegun Obasanjo sincerely appreciates all of you, my cherished colleagues; gentlemen and women of the media profession, who have been very upright, ethical and robust on the subject matter.”