Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said the touted integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari is doubtful while describing the anti-graft war of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a charade.
Obasanjo was speaking at the 2019 quarterly business lecture organised by the Island Club of Lagos, where he vouched for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s ability to move the country forward.
“Have I ever said a lie? Has everything I said concerning the former vice president or the present incumbent not been proven beyond any shadow of doubt? Nigerians must rise up to defend our fledgling democracy; nobody would do this for us.
“There is no better person to lead Nigerians out of the present problems that have been created than Atiku. Some people claim to be fighting corruption when they have corruption right on their nose, they claimed to have integrity and we can all see that it is a lie.
“Unlike some others, Atiku has never claimed to be a saint or a messiah. When I said someone was not a messiah some years ago, some people were up in arms. As a Christian, the only messiah I know is Jesus Christ. A leader must be honest to himself and the people he wants to serve and be served. I believe Atiku has these qualities.
“A good leader must identify mistakes, show remorse, seek forgiveness and repent, and not pass the buck to others. Atiku has asked for my forgiveness and I forgave him as my religion tells me to,” Obasanjo said.
The former president added that if elected as president, Atiku Abubakar will not be a sectional president as he will be president for all.
“This is the difference between Atiku and the incumbent. He will be a team leader and not be controlled by any cabal as we are currently witnessing.”