Be Vigilant, FG Will Wage War Against Your Group – Obasanjo To Coalition Leaders

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on members of the Third Force movement, including the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), to be fully prepared for the task of saving the country situation, warning that the people currently in government would pose a great threat and or wage war against the group.

Obasanjo disclosed this on Saturday, while addressing the Oyo State chapter of CNM at a ceremony held at the Trans Amusement Park, Bodija, Ibadan.

The former president, who wore the white and green T-shirt of the movement with light brownish green colour chinos trouser and a cap to match, called on the members to be ready to give everything in the cause of delivering Nigeria from the current situation.

In attendance were former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who is the national coordinator of the movement; former deputy governor of Oyo State, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; two former secretaries to Oyo State Government, Chiefs Olayiwola Olakojo and Ayodele Adigun; and one of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s close associate, Oyewole Fasawe; a legal luminary, Hammed Raji (SAN)

Obasanjo also stated that CNM as a movement “can only achieve its objective by transforming, being part of or whatever it is as a political party” is ready to give 30 per cent each of all its organs to the youth and women.

He said: “Our bosses are ready to spearhead this assignment. When those who insist that whether they do it well or not, they must still be in charge of the affairs of this country and we say they cannot be there, they will wage war, they will do so with every weapon to fight. Everybody must be prepared.

“It is not easy to remove fruit from palm kernel, but if you think it will be easy to deliver Nigeria, you’re deceiving yourselves. But God that did it yesterday will do it today again. We should not be discouraged.We have a lot of work to do.

“We have seen this before in this country.We have had situation where we have five parties and all of them nominated just one person as a candidate for presidency. If only his nuclear family had voted for him, he would have won.

“But our God was laughing; now, He is also laughing. When the time was up then, he confirmed that He is God. He is omnipotent, omnipresent and eternal who can do all things and who can make all things possible. But if we are leaving things to God, we have to do our own fight.

“Fear not, they will attempt to scare you, whether as individuals or as your group, but as for me, I don’t think there is anybody that can threaten me again. Don’t forget, I have seen it all. I have been to prison without being corrupt.”

On the process that could make the movement metamorphose into a political party with other parties, Obasanjo declared that as soon as the Movement transformed, he would cease being a member, as he had resolved not to be a member of any party again in the country.

His words: “When CNM becomes a political party or joins other parties to become a political party because a party cannot do it alone. There has to be a grand alliance of all those who are not with those who are not performing for Nigeria. It has to be that way, and when that comes, your leaders will brief you.

“I want to repeat what I have always said and don’t get me wrong, once this movement becomes a political party, I will no longer become a member of that party. But my concern for Nigeria will not diminish; my struggle for the good of Nigeria, progress, unity and development of Nigeria will not diminish.

“Even now, I have met people from other parties coming to me for advice. I don’t belong to their party. I don’t have anything to do with them other than to give them advice. That situation will continue and I will continue to look for the good of Nigeria wherever and whenever.

Earlier, the Oyo State coordinator, Chief Layiwola Olakojo, extolled Obasanjo’s contribution to the development of Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

In his own speech, Oyinlola disclosed the plans by the movement to transform to a party, stressing that the movement could now boast of a verifiable three million members across the country.

He added that they had consulted far and wide with like-minds and had resolved to transform to a party, but was quick to add that they would make the process open be it merger or otherwise.

He also hinted that under a political format, CNM would participate in elections coming up in 2018.

“On elections coming up in 2018, we’ll be part of the elections, but we will tell you the platform under which we will participate,” Oyinlola said.

Meanwhile, a former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of shielding officials in his government who have been found to be “doing things that are not in order.”

Atiku, who made the accusation in a Hausa interview programme of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Saturday, also chided the president for being selecting in his war against graft.

He also voiced concern over the rising insecurity in the country, despite the amount of money expended by the Federal Government to procure arms and ammunition to fight the Boko Haram sect.

“In this administration, there are people who are untouchable, they are doing things that are not in order but they are being shielded by the government. If elected Nigeria’s president, my administration will not spare anybody. When I was in power, none of my relatives or friends was found wanting.”

“If Nigerians can recall, we initiated the Economic and Financial (Crimes) Commission (EFCC). I’m the person that sourced for the takeoff funds for the EFCC,” he said.