I will not join any party --Obasanjo

Olusegun Obasanjo

“I will only be a Nigerian, I am ready to work with anybody regardless of political affiliation. Why would some people say they want to send me away, they don’t need to bother themselves, here’s your membership card, take it”. -Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo gave reasons Monday night why he publicly tore his Peoples Democratic Party membership card.
Obasanjo, whose action elicited spontaneous reactions across the globe, said he took the action maintain his image locally and internationally.
The former president said in a three tweets he posted at intervals yesterday, that he could not remain in the same party with a president who uses his party and corruption to tear down the country.
He also explained that it was better for him to quit the PDP than remain in it with a drug baron.
Obasanjo said: “I’d rather sacrifice my political party for the interest of Nigeria than sacrifice my country for a political party led by a drug baron.

“I’d rather tear the PDP membership card than sit down and let Jonathan use PDP and corruption to tear my beloved country apart.

“I have national and international standard to maintain. For this reason I’d rather stand alone than be in the same political party with Kashamu.”

“From today on, in the presence of all us and with your support, I am not going to be in any political party in Nigeria. I am no more a politician but a statesman both internally and externally. The issued that they want to expel me from the party for, once you people are with me what other people am I looking for”. 

 “They said they want to expel me from PDP, although I have not been told but I have my ears on ground. We’ve been trying to run away from a man but he pleads we wait for him at the other side of the river. I have told you before that I became president on the platform of PDP, once I leave PDP I will not join any party”.

Obasanjo said that the party card he tore was one of the least things preoccupation to what is good for Nigeria, pointing out that there was nothing he could not sacrifice for the interest of the nation.
He boasted that despite the destruction of his party care, he would not be cowed by anyone, as he was still ready to comment on any matter that required his comment or view.

He said, “If there is anything that requires my own comment, position or views. I will say it. It is only when you kill me that I will stop doing so.

The former leader, who is known to have spearheaded the emergence of the Jonathan Presidency, explained that being patriotic demanded the will to sacrifice anything, including his life for the interest of Nigeria but not his life for a political party.

“My first preoccupation is what is best for Nigeria: Nigeria first, party second and anything third,” Obsanjo said.

  It was gathered that Obasanjo might have taken his decision to tear his membership card and quit voluntarily quit his party before the leadership, apparently upset by his tantrums against Jonathan moves against him.

It was reliably gathered that the party had mooted the idea of formally suspending him from its fold but was restrained by the leadership which had hoped he would soft-pedal over time, only for Obasanjo to unleash a more debilitating assault on Jonathan, accusing him of shifting scheduled polls in a bid to circumvent the wheels in order to win by hook or crook.

More links : 

http://nuj-europe-chapter.blogspot.com/2015/02/obasanjo-clears-air-on-reported-buhari.html