Obasanjo’s Letter Unbecoming, Selfish, Highly Provocative, Says Abati

The Presidency has responded to the letter written by former President Olusegun Obasango accusing President Goodluck Jonathan of betraying God and the mandate of Nigerians, who voted him to power, and had, instead, been pursuing selfish, personal and political interests based on the advice he received from those he termed as “self-centered aides”.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, in a statement on Wednesday, said that the letter is unbecoming, mischievous and provocative.

Mr. Obasanjo in his 18-page letter titled “Before It Is Too Late”, said Nigeria under Mr. Jonathan’s leadership “is bleeding and the hemorrhage must be stopped”.

But Abati, while acknowledging the Presidency’s receipt of the ex-president’s letter which was dated December 2, said: “We have noted the publication on several websites today of a letter recently written by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

“We, however, find it highly unbecoming, mischievous and provocative that a letter written by a former Head of State and respected elder statesman to President Jonathan has been deliberately leaked to the mass media in a deplorable effort to impugn the integrity of the President and denigrate his commitment to giving Nigeria the best possible leadership.

“While many patriotic, objective and well-meaning Nigerians have already condemned the leaked letter as self-serving, hypocritical, malicious, indecent, and very disrespectful of the highest office in the land, President Jonathan has directed that none of his aides or any government official should join issues with Chief Obasanjo over it”.

Abati said that at the appropriate time, Mr. Jonathan will offer a full personal response to the charges leveled against him by Mr. Obasanjo which he described as “most reckless, baseless, unjustifiable and indecorous”.

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