In advance of Nigeria's general election in 2023, former president Olusegun Obasanjo has claimed that neither the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nor the All Progressives Congress (APC) can resolve the country's issues.
The two major parties in Nigeria, according to Obasanjo, have failed the people in appalling ways. He called for the next election to offer a new party a chance to change the narrative and fortunes of the nation.
The declaration was made by Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party's (SDP) presidential candidate, after a private meeting with Obasanjo in the penthouse of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Because the PDP and the APC have failed in the past, Obasanjo feels that the country's issues, especially those with security and the economy, cannot be solved without fresh leadership from a third party.
Adebayo continued, "The ex-president advised me to work hard to grow the SDP since the party was on the right side and if my party won the presidential election, he would do everything in his ability to support him both inside and outside of Nigeria."
He clarified that his journey to Obasanjo's farm as a former lawyer was as much a family matter as a political one and that he was there to beg for his permission on his bid for the presidency.
“We are here to see Baba (Obasanjo) being a national figure, also the longest serving leader, if there is a Mr Nigeria, Baba is Mr Nigeria,” the presidential candidate stated. “So we are here to discuss the country. Also, at the rally of our party, we have seen traditional rulers and you know you can’t come here without seeing Baba we are the ones who gain from it because we learnt a lot, about governance and we are encouraged that we are on the right part.”
“Basically, he (Obasanjo) said we should make our party stronger and we are in the right direction Baba is of the view that the solutions to Nigeria's problem will not come from the old party, but from the new party and we should do our best and he wishes us well and promised that if we win the election, he will give us all the assistance that is needed” he added.
Adebayo, along with other notable party members such as Engr. Tony Ojeshina, the party’s candidate for governor in the state, and Yinka-Ola Williams, the party’s state chairman, paid a visit to Obasanjo, where he pledged to end poverty in Nigeria.
He blamed poverty for the rise in crimes, including kidnapping, terrorism, and murder in Nigeria and promised to rid the country of corruption if elected president.
On the other hand, the presidential candidate criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s present administration over crude oil theft and high-profile debt, saying he would not rest until Nigerians had a government that could deliver all the promises made in the Nigerian constitution.
Before this, he travelled to Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he met with three paramount rulers: Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, the Traditional and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland; Oba (Prof.) Saka Matemilola, the Olowu of Owu; and Oba (Prof.) Jacob Omolade, the Olubara of Ibara.