Fayose questions Obasanjo’s relevance to Yoruba race

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, who has become more famous with unrestrained criticisms of others, has lashed out at former President Olusegun Obasanjo, describing him as the father of corruption.

He further said the former President is not just the father of corruption but one, who sits on stolen wealth, adding that it is doubtful if Obasanjo is of any relevance to the Yoruba race.

He therefore called on him to desist from deceiving the world with his anti-corruption posture, adding that he lacks the moral right to accuse anyone of corruption.

“I challenge him (Obasanjo) to explain to Nigerians the source of his stupendous wealth,” Fayose fumed.

The governor stated this in reaction to an alleged comment credited to Obasanjo, where the former President asked African leaders to ensure that treasury looters are exposed and also warned former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke to stop mentioning his name in the controversial $1.09billion Malabu Oil deal.

Fayose, in a release issued on Thursday by his Special Assistant on public communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, urged Obasanjo to come out clean on his roles in the controversial $1.09 billion Malabu Oil deal and stop issuing order against the mentioning of his name in connection to the deal.

He went further to brand Obasanjo posture on corruption as the highest level of hypocrisy.

“It is on record that the out-of-court settlement on the controversial Malabu Oil Block was initiated in 2006 during Obasanjo’s administration.”

On the corruption comment, he said Obasanjo accusing anyone of corruption was like “Oyenusi accusing Shina Rambo of armed robbery.”

He added, “We saw how Obasanjo was when he became president and the magnitude of both direct and indirect investments that he has now. Can he in all honesty tell Nigerians that he acquired his wealth through legitimate means?”

Qualifying Obasanjo as the father of corruption he made reference to the National Assembly which not too long ago, described Obasanjo “as the grandfather of corruption in Nigeria.”

He said, “And it is on record that it was this same Obasanjo, who is always claiming holier than thou that introduced politics of Ghana-must-go bags to the National Assembly.

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“Has Obasanjo forgotten how many billions of naira was deployed to lobby National Assembly members to support his third term agenda?”

“Has he forgotten so soon that it was during his tenure that sacks of money were displayed on the floor of the House of Representatives, as bribe money given to some Reps members to impeach the then Speaker, Ghali N’abba?

“Someone like Obasanjo, who used his position as President to extort money from governors, businessmen and contractors to build his presidential library lacked more rights to accuse anyone of corruption.

“Other Nigerians who left offices as President are still relevant to their people, but can the same be said about Obasanjo? Was he useful to the Yoruba race as President and now as former President?

“The bad state that he left major roads linking the Southwest to other zones in Nigeria, especially the Lagos-Ibadan expressway remains a pointer to this. Yet, he goes about postulating as if he is the only honest Nigerians who can make things right in the country”, Fayose asserted.

 

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