Obasanjo’s Refusal To Endorse Buhari Troubles APC

There are indications that Ex President Olusegun Obasanjo
has refused to endorse, the presidential candidate of the All
Progressive Congress (APC), General Muammadu Buhari.
Also, the animosity between, Buhari and General Ibrahim
Babangida, is also a cause for worry among the Buhari group.
In his recent interview, Buhari hinted that he is still very
unhappy with Babangida who sacked his military
administration.
When President Goodluck Jonathan visited Babangida, the ex
military gave a tacit approval of Jonathan when he urged
Nigeria to support Jonathan for the unity of Nigeria.
His reason for his refusal is however unclear.
However, sources close to Obasanjo hinted that it may not be
unconnected with a report by the Petroleum (Special) Trust
Fund (PTF) Interim Management Committee, instituted on July
7, 1999 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
.Based on the report, the PTF under Buhari’s supervision was
mismanaged. The report was however neither made public nor
was it acted upon by the former president.In its summary, the
Committee had advised Obasanjo to “set up a high powered
judicial panel to recover the huge public fund and to take
necessary action against any officer, consultant or contractor
whose negligence resulted in this colossal loss of public
funds.”
According to the report, the sum of N25,758,532,448 was
mismanaged by the Afri-Project Consortium (APC), a company
contracted by the PTF as management and project consultant.
Buhari as PTF chairman was said to have also “delegated to
them the power of Engineer in all appropriate project requiring
such power,” which made them assume absolute powers to
initiate, approve and execute all projects by the PTF.
Sources hinted Pointblanknews.co m that the body language
of Obasanjo is troubling to the APC because it is at variance
with his earlier promise
According to APC sources, when Asiwaju Bola Tinubu visited
his Abeokuta residence , the former President specifically
warned against fielding an “unclean vessel” in apparent
reference to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who was his (Obasanjo)
deputy from 1999-2007, as the opposition party’s presidential
candidate in 2015.
But he assured Tinubu that whoever emerged, he would give
his blessings, “but weeks after Buhari emerged Baba has
avoided him, and has not accepted the request that the party
brings Buhari and Osinbajo to his house, it is very troubling”
an APC source said
Some APC top shots believe Obasanjo is playing games with
both parties. They express worry at his moves. said another
source, who is a member of the APC’s presidential campaign
council. According to him ” 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
appears at his daughter’s wedding. we don’t understand him.
it is like he is bargaining and playing safe with Jonathan, if he
wins”
But one of his associate, Chief Oyewole Fasawe said in a
statement that the ex-president 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 quarter.
“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”