As criticisms and commendations continue to trail his dramatic exit from the Peoples Democratic Party, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has explained how he arrived at the decision to dump the party to which he belonged for 16 years.
The former president had Monday announced his resignation as a member of the party on whose platform he ruled the country between 1999 and 2007. Mr. Obasanjo renounced his membership of the PDP when some leaders of the party led by Surajudeen Oladunjoye, the chairman of the ward around his former residence in Ita Eko, visited him at his Presidential Hilltop mansion in Abeokuta home.
The former president directed Mr. Oladunjoye to tear his membership card at a press conference organised during the visit. About two hours later, the PDP leadership in Ogun State announced the expulsion of the former president from the party.
However, in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday, Mr. Obasanjo explained that the PDP members visited him to express their genuine concern about his refusal to be active in the party.
“They were concerned that I had only one leg in the party, and worried that since I’m their leader in the ward, they need to hear from me,” the former President said.
According to him, when the party members arrived his residence, they were singing a song in Yoruba language – “Nigeria yi ti gbobgo wa ni, Ko ma gbodo ba je. Eje ka sowopo kajo gbega (Meaning – Nigeria belongs to all of us, we must not allow it to be destroyed and we must join hands to make it great).
Mr. Obasanjo said when they settled down he sought to know why they came and that it was at that point that Mr. Oladunjoye told him that since he (Obasanjo) as their leader became angry with the PDP and remained inactive in the party, they had not only lost sense of direction but also worried about their political future. He also said the party members informed him that the leadership in the state was planning to expel him and that they wondered what would happen to them if he was expelled because they would become rudderless.
“You are our leader and it is you we are following. You have remained a card-carrying member of the the party. But since you became angry with the party we have lost sense of direction and now we are hearing that they want to expel you. If they expel you, where do we go? What do we do?” Mr. Obasanjo quoted the ward chairman as saying.
The former president explained that it was at that point that he gave them his PDP membership card and told them that they could do whatever they want with it.
He said, “In my response, I said when you people came you were singing a song and I agreed that Nigeria is our own. If the issue is the party, I will not choose the party at the detriment of Nigeria and I will fight for Nigeria even at the detriment of the party. I will rather surrender my membership of the party so you people can move on politically,” Mr. Obasanjo explained to PREMIUM TIMES.
“If you people’s worry is that I’m a card-carrying member of the party and I’m not showing you people direction and you are worried that I’m neither here nor there, this is the card; you can keep it, you can burn it or you can tear it, do whatever you want to do with it.”
The former president said he then handed over his membership card to Mr. Oladunjoye, who immediately decided on his own to shred it. Mr. Obasanjo said he had no regrets for his action despite the criticisms that have greeted it.
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I have been reporting on latest news from Nigeria for almost 10 years now. I report on every possible news area I come across, but always ensure my reports are compiled with dignity and fact to uphold my personal values and duty as a journalist
Posted: at 18-02-2015 10:28 PM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero
chisparlis at 18-02-2015 10:45 PM (10 years ago) (m)
STUPID LIE LIE OLD MAN..IT IS ONLY A FOOL THAT WILL BUY YOUR LIES..YOU ARE A DEAD LEADER AND KNOW ONE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT OR DIRECTION TO DIRECT NIGERIANS BECAUSE SINCE YOU WERE THERE NOTHING GOOD HAS COME OUT FROM YOU. SO GET LOST AND DON'T BE FOUND EVEN IN THE 1 BILLION GENERATION TO COME.
Posted: at 18-02-2015 10:45 PM (10 years ago) | Upcoming
You are our leader and it is you we are following. You have remained a card-carrying member of the the party. But since you became angry with the party we have lost sense of direction and now we are hearing that they want to expel you. If they expel you, where do we go? What do we do?” Mr. Obasanjo quoted the ward chairman as saying. This why I don't deal with Yoruba people, because they are cowards.
Posted: at 19-02-2015 02:16 AM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac
shannon034 at 19-02-2015 06:38 AM (10 years ago) (f)
Stupid and useless Old man....How many roads did you repair when you were there as the president ? Did you fix the Electricity ? or during your time did Nigerians buy Petrol from any of the Petrol Station apart from Black market all along the road.....useless idiot gorilla
Posted: at 19-02-2015 06:38 AM (10 years ago) | Upcoming
@DrSoba. U are just a useless and sentimental bigot fool. We Yoruba's reason logically. It is ur parents that are coward,because they fail 2 teach u good moral sense. Oloriburuku omo ale!
Posted: at 19-02-2015 06:47 AM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac
some people said OBJ didnt do anything, that's funny. What about GSM, d phone u are using to browse right now, Who made it possible?....Another question, OBJ remains d only president that left $46 Billion in our Foreign Reserve. How much do d current President have in Foreign Reserve, $0. Nigerians are funny,they insult people without reasons..they forget ur good deeds and focus on d bad deeds
Posted: at 19-02-2015 08:32 AM (10 years ago) | Newbie
odegbalegu at 19-02-2015 08:44 AM (10 years ago) (m)
there is time for everything under heaven. a time to belong and a time not to belong. a time to keep and a time to tear. and this the right time to tear obj from PDP.
Posted: at 19-02-2015 08:44 AM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac
kelly_kelly3 at 19-02-2015 09:33 AM (10 years ago) (m)
Quote from: DrSoba on 19-02-2015 02:16 AM
You are our leader and it is you we are following. You have remained a card-carrying member of the the party. But since you became angry with the party we have lost sense of direction and now we are hearing that they want to expel you. If they expel you, where do we go? What do we do?” Mr. Obasanjo quoted the ward chairman as saying. This why I don't deal with Yoruba people, because they are cowards.
U ARE INSANE FOR SAYING THAT WHO CARE ABOUT YOU?WHY U ARE USING ONE PERSON TO JUDGE WHOLE TRIBE ...U phyukING IDIOT
Posted: at 19-02-2015 09:33 AM (10 years ago) | Newbie
kelly_kelly3 at 19-02-2015 09:39 AM (10 years ago) (m)
Quote from: DrSoba on 19-02-2015 02:16 AM
You are our leader and it is you we are following. You have remained a card-carrying member of the the party. But since you became angry with the party we have lost sense of direction and now we are hearing that they want to expel you. If they expel you, where do we go? What do we do?” Mr. Obasanjo quoted the ward chairman as saying. This why I don't deal with Yoruba people, because they are cowards.
MR TRIBE IS NOT FOR FUN ...YOU THIS DrSoba OLOSI ASIWIN OMO ALE IBO ...WE KNOW GOOD IBO AS THEY MAKE MONEY AND ACCORD RESPECT IN LAGOS AND OTHER YORUBA CITIES AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE BEEN THEIR BROTHER ...BUT U Dr Soba ........U ARE BASTARD AMONG THE TRIBE
Posted: at 19-02-2015 09:39 AM (10 years ago) | Newbie
EVEN IF HE'S PDP MEMBER WHAT CAN WE GET FROM IT 
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