In the following article by "This Day," published by Babangida's printing press in Abuja, former Kano State Governor and the so-called friend of Ndigbo, Abubakar Rimi, as ordained by the inept Ohaneze, insisted Obasanjo would have no chance of being re-elected. Aint these shenanigans birds of the same feather? Who are they fooling?
We Won't Nominate Obasanjo for 2003.
This Day May 28, 2001
Posted to the web May 24, 2001
Agaju Madugba
Kaduna
A founding member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and former Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, has said that the party would not adopt President Olusegun Obasanjo as its candidate for the 2003 presidential election.
Rimi, who is the chairman of the Nigerian Printing and Minting Company (NPMC), spoke with reporters in Kaduna on Tuesday, shortly after a meeting of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), at the Arewa House.
In fact, Rimi, who still nurses the ambition of becoming Nigeria's president, de-manded the immediate suspension of Obasanjo from the PDP.
He also announced his intention to join the presidential race and challenged his detractors to explain why he should not contest the Presidency in 2003.
Describing the proposed suspension of Obasanjo from the party as long overdue, Rimi accused the President of "flagrant violation of the constitution of the PDP and his refusal to implement its manifestoes."
Rimi said, "since Obasanjo is the cardinal problem in the PDP, I think that once you throw him out of the PDP, you will have peace and stability and there will be a sense of purpose in the party." He said the two-year old Obasanjo government had "failed absolutely," regretting further that the President had imposed on Nigerians what he called civilian dictatorship.
He said: "I am critical of Obasanjo's government because, after we have put him there, he is not doing what he is supposed to do and he has violated our party's constitution and abandoned the party's programmes;
"Obasanjo said there is no discipline in the PDP, then we ask him, 'why has he chosen to remain in such a party, occupying the position of a President, elected on the platform of such a party.'
"Whatever happens in the PDP, Obasanjo is the cause; any chaos and feud, Obasanjo should be held responsible.
"Obasanjo was the one who said that only his candidate should be the party chairman. Obasanjo was the one who said only his candidate should be Senate President and that only his candidate should be Speaker of the House of Representatives.
"If Obasanjo leaves the PDP today, there will no longer be crisis in the party.
Copyright © 2001 This Day.
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