I’m no longer in partisan politics, I can’t return to PDP – Obasanjo tells party leaders

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday told leaders of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that he won’t return to the party.

Obasanjo made this disclosure when a PDP delegation led by the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, four former governors, and members of the party’s National Working Committee visited him at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Others in the delegation were PDP Vice-Presidential candidate in the 2019 election, Peter Obi; former Governors, Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Liyel Imoke (Cross River) and Donald Duke (Cross River).

Obasanjo and the PDP leaders went into a closed-door meeting that lasted for over two hours.

Addressing the larger gathering of the PDP stakeholders after the closed door meeting, Obasanjo admitted that having governed Nigeria twice on the PDP platform, the party would continue to be part of his history.

He said “I’m no longer in partisan politics and there is nothing that can bring back. Anybody who wants my advice, I will always be there in the best interest of Nigeria.

“Whatever I do in my own life…because I became president on the platform of PDP, PDP will continue to be part of my life. Since the day I tore my PDP card, that was the day I ceased to be a member of PDP. That day I vowed not to be a member of any political party.

“I will continue to be a statesman.”

Obasanjo told Ayu that he has the problems of PDP and Nigeria on his shoulders, and prayed God give him the wisdom to carry it.

Responding, Ayu told Obasanjo that “if you leave PDP, the blood of PDP will never leave you.”

He said the party would always require his fatherly advice towards governance in Nigeria.

Ayu while applauding Obasanjo for being passionate about the progress, unity and development of the country, noted that “what we have now falls short of the leadership Nigeria deserves.”