‘Your Hands Are Not Clean’ Bajowa Tells Obasanjo Over Comment On Presidential Election

A retired General in the Nigerian Army, Prince Dr (Gen) Olu Bajowa, has condemmned former President Olusegun Obasanjo for calling for the cancellation of Saturday’s presidential election, warning that such utterance could trigger crises.

Bajowa, in a statement made available to The Harmattan News on Tuesday, described Obasanjo’s statement as insincere and destructive to Nigerian unity.

Obasanjo earlier alleged that the results of last Saturday’s presidential election had been doctored and manipulated.

Obasanjo who is also the Balogun of Owu had in a letter made public called on President Muhammadu Buhari to demand a review of the results collation process, said this through a statement he personally signed on Monday.

While responding, General Bajowa said, “It is very sad, most disheartening and grossly unexpected that a man of the calibre of a former military Head of State and two-time civilian President, General Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR, could contemplate anything that could truncate Nigeria’s democratic process at this very crucial stage!

“General Obasanjo was the one who gave me orders to go to the war front in 1967, to fight the legendary Ore Battle, ‘to keep Nigeria One’.

“Without any attempt to undermine General Obasanjo, I believe that his intentions on the 2023 electoral process, are far from being sincere, given the fact that he openly endorsed a particular candidate who incidentally is not leading the polls, as already announced by INEC.

“As the saying goes: ‘He who must come to equity; must come with clean hands’. Hence, It is obvious that having endorsed a candidate, General Obasanjo’s hands are not clean in this instance, and he lacks the moral right to come to equity.

“I advise President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, not to be deterred by the anti-democratic voices making the rounds and not be swayed, deceived, or persuaded to allow anyone to destroy his worthy legacy of excellent service to our great nation.

“A quick glance at the results announced so far by INEC, paints a clear picture of the direction to which the voice of the people is tilted. There are several upsets which only a free and fair process could have produced.

“For instance, the official release of results so far showed that President Buhari lost Katsina, Bola Tinubu lost Lagos, El-Rufai lost Kaduna, Ganduje lost Kano, Lalong lost Plateau. All these states are strongholds of the Ruling Political Party! How else can a process be free, fair, and transparent?

“I call on all well-meaning Nigerians across political parties, tribes, and religions to rise and condemn any attempt by any persons of sinister motives, to create problems for our country, leading to anarchy that could endanger peace, unity, and stability of Nigeria, and even the disintegration of the country.

“Nigeria is not a lawless country. The constitution is clear on who should conduct elections, and there are provisions for review on irregularities, punishment for infractions, and aggrieved parties to seek redress through the legal process! In fact, the law does not make any provision for unilateral cancellation or annulment of election results. Such move is totally wrong, undemocratic, unacceptable, and unconstitutional.”

Obasanjo openly endorsed Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the presidential election. Obi is currently in third place behind Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party after the collation of results from about 20 states.