Reports reaching DAILY POST suggests there is a growing unease in the camp of the All Progressives Congress, APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari over the refusal of ex-President, Olusegun Obasanjo to endorse him ahead of the Feb. 14 presidential election.
Equally troubling, according to a report by Pointblank News, is the unending animosity between the APC presidential candidate and former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida. Buhari had in a recent interview given indications that he is still not happy with Babangida for sacking his military administration while Babangida, in turn, gave a veiled endorsement to Buhari’s opponent at the presidential contest during a visit of the Nigerian president to his Minna abode. Babangida had called on Nigerians to vote for President Jonathan for the unity of the country.
Though it is still not clear why Obasanjo is shying away from endorsing Buhari, Pointblank News, quoting sources close to Obasanjo suggests that the ex-president’s reluctance may be connected with a report by the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF) Interim Management Committee, instituted by Obasanjo on July 7, 1999.
According to the report of the committee, the PTF under Buhari’s supervision was mismanaged. Though the report was never made public nor acted upon by the former president. The Committee was said to have advised Obasanjo to “set up a high powered judicial panel to recover the huge public fund that was mismanaged and also take necessary action against any officer, consultant or contractor whose negligence resulted in the colossal loss of public funds.”
The report of the committee indicated that the sum of N25, 758,532,448 was mismanaged by the Afri-Project Consortium, a company contracted by the PTF as management and project consultants.
According to the report, Buhari, as PTF chairman, was said to have also “delegated to Afri-Projects the power of assume absolute control on PTF to initiate, approve and execute all projects by the PTF.
APC sources however say that the body language of Obasanjo is troubling to the party because it is at variance with his earlier promise
According to the APC sources, Obasanjo had promised supporting whoever emerged as APC presidential candidate, though cautioning that the party must not field an unclean “vessel” when Asiwaju Bola Tinubu visited his Abeokuta residence.
An APC source say that contrary to his promise, Obasanjo has “weeks after Buhari emerged has avoided him, and has not accepted the request that the party brings Buhari and Osinbajo to his house, it is very troubling”.
According to the sources, some APC top shots believe Obasanjo is playing games with both parties. They express worry at his moves. Another source, who is a member of the APC’s presidential campaign council, said, “We don’t know the game he is playing. He tells us Goodluck Jonathan must be stopped, he maligns him and his administration daily, but last Saturday he appeared at his daughter’s wedding. We don’t understand him. It is like he is bargaining and playing safe with Jonathan, in case he wins”
Reacting, Chief Oyewole Fasawe, a long standing associate of the former president, said in a statement that Obasanjo sees the current political gladiators in all the parties as his political children and associates; hence, he would not endorse one over the other no matter the amount of pressure from any quarters.
“Baba has not endorsed anyone and has not condemned anyone. A statesman of his stature and pedigree can only pray and work towards peace and progress in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large. Those trying to exploit his friendliness to gain political advantage over other contenders are being unfair and doing so without Obasanjo’s approval,”he said.
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