The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for the first time spoke on the controversial statement issued by former President Olusegun Obasanjo against President Muhammadu Buhari.
He also reacted to the formation of the Nigeria Coalition Movement which was suggested in the statement by Obasanjo.
As far as Tinubu is concerned, the statement by Obasanjo was more political than advisory.
Tinubu who spoke in Owerri, the Imo State capital, was on his way to Anambra State for the burial of former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, said if Obasanjo had wanted to advise Buhari, he had ample opportunities to do that in privacy.
He said making the criticism public was merely playing politics.
Speaking on the new movement, Tinubu said the APC would respond at the appropriate time.
His words: “Obasanjo wrote it about the government. It is a very good awareness on his part and they are both from the same background. I believe that is the doctrine of Military Officers (retired) because he has unrestricted access to the President, either through the Council of State or by any other means that he need to see the current President privately and he was his junior in the Army…
“So I think Obasanjo was playing politics with his public letter that’s all I see. He could have used other means, he met him in the AU too he has a way of discussing privately but the letter is being responded to by the government.
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“The appropriate time is not now for response on the Coalition Movement but we are in a democracy, we are in a country that is a signatory to the Charter of the United Nation which guarantees free movement, free association and free speech.”
It would be recalled that about two weeks ago, Obasanjo wrote a statement criticising Buhari and alleging that he had performed below expectation.
He warned him not to go for a second term in office in 2019.
Obasanjo also suggested the formation of a movement to move the country forward.
A few days after the statement, close associates of the former president unveiled Nigeria Coalition Movement in Abuja.
Those behind the movement are former Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke.
Obasanjo soon registered as a member of the movement in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Thursday.
