On Monday, more criticism came after former president Olusegun Obasanjo endorsed Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party (LP), Post Nigeria reports.
Obasanjo was within his rights to support Obi, according to Festus Keyamio (SAN), official spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council and minister of state for labor and employment.
According to him, the support indicated that Obasanjo did not believe Atiku Abubakar, his former deputy and PDP presidential candidate, deserved to be president.
Keyamo says that the former president’s decision won’t affect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who is running for president as the APC candidate.
The minister tweeted: “Quite within OBJ’s right to endorse anyone, but bad for PDP in two ways:
“Atiku’s former boss does not think he deserves to be President this time around.
“The little support OBJ gave PDP in 2019 & they failed, he has taken that away to LP. No effect at all on @officialABAT.”
Director, Public Affairs of the Campaign Council, Dino Melaye, disagreed with Obasanjo’s reference to age as a reason for choosing Obi.
According to him, if America, the most civilised democracy on earth can elect 70-year-old Joe Biden as president, then age does not matter.
Elder statesman Tanko Yakasai also slammed Obasanjo for endorsing Obi, who he predicted would come third.
He said: “Obasanjo’s endorsement is insignificant.
“The 2023 contest is a race between two top contenders, and even the gap between the major contender is so wide that no one will waste his or her vote on a contestant that is far far behind these big two.”
An APC member, Adamu Garba, claimed Obasanjo was envious of his party’s presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He tweeted: “Envy is an immense disease. I respect & continue to respect General Olusegun Obasanjo.
“However, I advise him to outgrow his envy of Tinubu at this stage of his life.
“Obasanjo is desperately envious of the rise and shine of Bola Ahmed Tinubu; his loss in this one is sure to come.”