Former Nigerian Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo has said most of those gunning for the nation’s number one office in next year’s elections are supposed to be behind bars.
The former President said this at a symposium held to celebrate his 85th birthday in Ogun on Saturday.
Obasanjo faulted the temerity such aspirants have to run for president on faulty anti-graft agencies.
“I cast a cursory look at some of the people running around and those for whom people are running around. If EFCC and ICPC will have done their jobs properly and supported adequately by the judiciary, most of them would be in jail.
“Any person who has no integrity in small things cannot have integrity in big things. Fixing Nigeria must begin on the principles of nation building, not necessarily on emotion, sentiments, euphoria, ignorance, incompetence, ethnicity, nepotism, bigotry, sectionalism, regionalism, religion or class,” the elder statesman said.
“As the quadrennial madness builds a head of steam and the runners and riders crisscross the nation in the quest for nomination as the party flag bearer to the highest office in the land, I read and hear about endorsement and statements in support of candidates that I frankly have not made and forming next political parties that I can never get involved in.
“I was told that social media credited to me, names of three people from the south that I am sponsoring for Presidency in 2023. My friend, Professor Ango Abdullah, who brought this to my knowledge remarked that he did not believe that I made such a statement because it was out of my character.
“I have neither named names, nor stated my position. In situation like the one we are in, I will not rush into naming names without necessary consultations and well-defined principles and criteria,” Obasanjo added.
