OBASANJO’s DAUGHTER TO BUHARI SUPPORTERS: It’s shameful trying to use me to fight my father

A former senator, and daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Iyabo Obasanjo has weighed in on the open letter her father wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari.

She lamented that people who are sympathetic to the Buhari administration, and want to discredit Chief Obasanjo, have dug up a letter she wrote to her father in 2013, and circulated it on social media as a recent document.

Chief Obasanjo had recently penned an open letter to Buhari in which he called on the President not to seek re-election in 2019.

In his letter, Chief Obasanjo accused the Buhari administration of incompetence, nepotism, corruption and proposed a new political movement that will herald economic and social development for the country.

But according to Ms Obasanjo, now based in the U.S.A, supporters of Buhari who are unhappy with the development, have dug up another open letter she also wrote to her father during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, in which she lambasted her father of orchestrating a third term for himself as president, cruelty to family members, abandoning his children and grandchildren, and also, a legendary reputation of maltreatment of women.

She however noted that the Buhari apologists have ignored the good advice her father offered Buhari in his letter, but instead have sought to use her as a tool to attack Chief Obasanjo.

Her statement reads: “My attention has been drawn to the republishing (in social media) of a letter from 2013 that has since been overturned by events. I am surprised that agents of the current Nigerian administration who should benefit from the advice and admonishment of one of the most brilliant leaders to ever emerge in modern Africa have resorted to a cheap tactic that further reiterates the message that they found abhorrent enough to start looking for unconnected issues to put together to make their point.

“To say that Nigeria has problems is to make an understatement. The wise should listen, wherever help and advice come from. Those who republished the old letter should have spent time to respond to the content of the said statement which, among other things, called on President Buhari to join the rank of retired elder statesmen in 2019.

“I would think this was appropriate and even unnecessary advice, given the serious medical problems he has had over the last few years.

“I have had no connection with his administration or to the previous one after I left the Senate in 2011, and to try and use me and my name as some excuse is shameful. I agree with the contents of the open letter and like all people that wish Africa well, hope that Nigeria someday comes out of its death spiral to become a leading nation in the world.

“It is tiring to continue to be part of the Nigerian conversation when there is no positive impact to it. I really do not want to be part of it, as I have found over and over again that speech and words are wasted on people who have no understanding of the responsibility on us as black people on this planet.”