Nigeria needs a leader like Obasanjo – Oyegun

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A former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Oyegun has described former president Olusegun Obasanjo as the kind of leader that Nigeria needs.

The former military governor of Edo state, said this while reacting to the “Islamisation and Fulanisation” comments credited to the ex-president

He also asked the ruling party to expunge godfathers because they have done a lot of damage to internal democracy.

Oyegun said these recently during an interview with New Telegraph.

“I think the basic problem we have all over is the godfather thing. Internal democracy simply means that if 10 people want to vie for an office, so be it. Let the electorate decide. But when party leaders are the ones deciding who is fit or who is not fit, that becomes a problem,” he said.

“That is the decision of the electorate. And when they start displacing persons with their friends and other undesirable inducements, that is totally unacceptable. The damage it does is that you are destroying the belief of the electorate in due process. So, it becomes more difficult to accept the result of an election.

“So, the damage is intense and I pray that our politicians will see the need for a proper internal democracy and allow due process and allow the people to thoroughly decide.”

On Oyegun’s reaction to the former president’s comment on “Islamisation and Fulanisation,” he said, “maybe dramatized, but he is addressing an issue that is with us”.

According to Oyegun, although he might not necessarily tag the crisis as “Islamisation”, “there is no question at all that it calls for worry because these people exist virtually in every state of the federation and, very soon, it would lead to unpleasantness in all over the country”.

“Well, I respect him. Every nation needs a man like that just like the people’s SAN, Chief Gani Fawhemi and a lot of activists. What is happening is that because of his status, his experience, his background, what he says becomes infinitely weighty and cannot be ignored,” Oyegun said.

“I just told you that this issue of so-called Fulani herdsmen and the copy cats that have followed it has to be addressed. So, the issue has to be addressed. I wouldn’t give it the kind of Islamization tag that is given to it, but there is no question at all that it calls for worry because these people exist virtually in every state of the federation and, very soon, it would lead to unpleasantness in all over the country.

“So, the issue has to be addressed and, as I told you that as far as I am concerned, it would be one of the first priority of the next level administration.”

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