The All Progressives Congress has berated the presidency for replying Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter in the way and manner it did saying the institution (presidency) has suffered a huge blow to its image by its decision to throw decorum to the wind and engage the former president in a hot exchange of words in what may now be described as ‘lettergate’ – the latest in a series of scandals to hit the Goodluck Jonathan presidency.
The opposition party’s position was contained in a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
The party noted that while it remains neutral in the political feud between both leaders, the decision by President Jonathan to go personal in his reaction crossed the threshold of decency and brought the presidency – and indeed the country – into disrepute.
According to APC, in other climes, the President would have simply issued a terse response to such a letter denying the allegations that border on national security, if any; as well as saying the former President’s observations have been noted, and that the government would study them and then engage with the former President in private, while assuring that the ship of state is on course.
“Instead, the President’s response read like the stuff of gossip magazines, and the exchange of words felt like what one would have expected in a beer parlour. At the end of the day, the Presidency allowed Obasanjo to take the higher moral ground by simply insisting on the allegations he made in his letter and saying he would not respond to the presidency’s reply
“The President, who accused Obasanjo of doing him a great injustice, has himself done a great injustice to the Presidency, which is an institution in which he is only a tenant. In the end, the President of Africa’s most populous nation, the leader of the foremost black nation on earth and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria simply desecrated his own presidency and allowed those who can only be likened to gravy train passengers, rascals and knaves to seize the initiative from him.
“This is what happens when a President is surrounded by self-serving, boot-licking and dishonest people, at the expense of seasoned technocrats and veteran policymakers, who would have reminded the President that while critics can afford to fire all sorts of darts at him, as the custodian of the presidency at this point in time, he cannot afford to respond in kind because, in doing so, he would be debasing the presidency as an institution”, APC said.
The party observed that the President was not unaware of this because at first he struggled in his letter to maintain some minimum level of decorum but quickly lost control and engaged in a bare-knuckle fight.
“The President himself knows that he ought not to have engaged in such exchange when he wrote early on in his letter: ‘It is with the greatest possible reluctance that I now write this reply. I am most uneasy about embarking on this unprecedented and unconventional form of open communication between me and a former leader of our country because I know that there are more acceptable and dignified means of doing so’.
“However, he quickly jettisoned such reluctance and, in an unfortunate debasement of the tone and quality of statecraft, went full blast, calling the former President a liar, a conflict instigator and an unreliable ally, among other inferred derogatory labels that may have now shut the window to reconciliation between him and his political God-father, in addition to portraying Nigerian leaders as delinquents.
“To worsen matters, President Jonathan could not restrain himself from using even the revered and ecclesial platform provided by his appearance at a Church service on Christmas day to further lambast his critics and spew out hot words. This, surely, is not what is expected of a President, a leader and anyone who wants to be a nation builder. It is time to call a truce!” it said.
Rearly gej shouldn’t have joined issues with obj. But gej reply was not total in order, apc are only condenming it cos they opposition
Association of People of Confusion, odaswise knwn as APC, u pple are always lukin 4 ways to take advantage of a situation to shine. U v lost ur moral stand to make contributions on National issues. U wanted to taked advantage of d ‘Oshiomole widow case’ , but he was smatter dan u, now u want to switch & Gej as ur ladder. U ppl were d ones pressin him to reply d letter, now dat he has , u r still pickin faults, sayin he wuld hav written it dis way & dat way. Is he ur dummy dat u ll tell him d words to use to reply an insultiv letter dat shuldnt even hav bn written in d first place, given d kind of person d writer is. Am sure if Abacha was still alive, u ppl wuld be pleadin wit him too to lead u like u r doin wit ur Baba. God help Nigeria, cos u ppl are d ones constitutin d corruption, & busy pointin accusin fingers elsewhere
APC.as a party is and would remain the most unfortunate and disgraceful organization known to Nigerians.Very disgusting. Do you by any way think that you understand OBJ and GEJ more than they understand themselves. If GEJ didn’t reply OBJ,you,the same hopless dirty minded and scrupulous demonic agents will accuse him for keeping quite,he has responded,you now call him names. I think the national interest should supercede ones. Please am asking you to leave him alone and don’t be a distract to him.
This OBJ that you now applaud sucked that country and went as far as changing the constitution for a third tenor. You all fell deaf ears to his atrocities. WOE ! WOE ! UNTO YOU ALL A.P.C. I tell you, you have already failed and shame,great shame you will live with all the days of your Life. Your party is playing devilish politics at the detriment of helpless lives in this country. Go and have a rethink. FOOLS.