From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Director-General of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), and former Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Issa Aremu, has said that the former President Olusegun Obasanjo is bereft of ideas, as age is no longer on his side, hence as a statesman he should have maintained neutrality rather than to endorse a presidential candidate for the February 25 polls.
Obasanjo had in an open letter on New Year’s Day declared the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, as his preferred candidate.
However, addressing newsmen on national issues on Sunday as part of activities to mark his 62nd birthday anniversary, Aremu said the former President has lost a great deal of respect in the eyes of the majority of Nigerians as well as the international community.
The former NLC leader said Obasanjo has no moral right to endorse a presidential candidate of the Labour Party since he was anti-labour union during his administration between 1999 to 2023.
He noted that Obasanjo laid off 35000 civil servants in the name of downsizing the workforce without due respect to the Labour law while he presided over the affairs of the country.
“OBJ no longer qualifies as a statesman. Given the anti-labour credentials of OBJ in and out of power had further taken away what remains of the credibility of the Labour Party as the platform of working people, women and the youths,” Aremu said.
The celebrant took exception to the latest letter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo that asked Nigerians to elect the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi ahead of the February election.
According to him, “OBJ’s letter in spirit and content amounts to how not to be a statesman the former president suffers “chronic withdrawal syndrome that calls for pity by all Nigerians.
“Obasanjo’s problem is not just his age, but the age of his diversionary unhelpful ideas with yesteryears’ method of long verbose word counts, allegedly written by him but certainly not believed by him.
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“His long latest verbosity called letter could not have been meant for the great Nigerian youths who prefer minimum honest word counts, but maximum wisdom, youths’ future he subverted with attempted third term ambition, serial brinkmanships and sit- tight mindset”.
According to the labour leader, the only statesman still standing in Nigeria is President Muhammadu Buhari who allows vote counts in Anambra, Osun Edo and Ekiti not Obasanjo who trampled underfoot election results to favour self even had the temerity to openly tear the membership of the party that took him from, “valley of death to mountain of the Presidency”.
Aremu hailed the ongoing campaigns by all the political parties but called for more contest of ideas for development not conquest by candidates and their spokesmen and women.
While expecting optimism about the February polls, Aremu who is also a member of the National Institute, Kuru Jos observed that “all Nigerians are on the next ballots as much as the candidates, adding that it’s time for all compatriots to rise for a free and fair contest.
“We must encourage a new democratic culture that allows for unfettered free debate of issues. The democratic contest is a form of institutionalised conflict. But this healthy conflict should be about ideas, not personalities.
Earlier, the celebrant described the Kaduna event as homecoming recalling his inaugural 50th birthday jogging in 2011 at the same venue, adding that three critical successes to healthy living are Worship, hard and smart work as well as keeping fit for moderation.
Aremu hailed Governor Nasir El-Rufai for his audacious globally acknowledged Kaduna urban renewal, urging the APC governorship candidate, Senator Uba Sani, to build on El-Rufai’s achievements for a better Kaduna.”
