Yakasai Lambasts Obasanjo Over May 29 Utterances In Jigawa
Elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, yesterday lashed out at former President Olusegun Obasanjo for daring to cast aspersions on President Goodluck Jonathan through a speech he delivered at the recently concluded three-day economic summit hosted in Dutse by the Jigawa State government.
In a statement issued in Kano yesterday, Yakasai advised the retired army general to exhibit decorum and decency when he speaks on nationa issues.
LEADERSHIP recalls that Obasanjo had advocated a change in the nation’s leadership during the summit, but Yakasai, who served former President Shehu Shagari as Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters in the Second Republic, insists that Obasanjo’s statements on the present leadership at the centre was an unpalatable attack President Jonathan.
In the statement made available to newsmen in Kano, a copy of which is in possession of our correspondent, Yakasai called on Obasanjo to pursue his political differences with Jonathan with tolerance, decorum and statesmanship, and to make political statements in a manner befitting his status as a former Nigerian leader.
He said, “General Obasanjo being a former president and high-ranking leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which is the party in power at the federal level in the country has every opportunity to seek audience with President Goodluck Jonathan and either offer him whatever advice he has to offer or criticize any policy of his administration that he has cause to disagree with.
“I think that is what is expected of any statesman, particularly people of the calibre of General Obasanjo,” adding that “People close to him say whenever General Obasanjo disagrees with a person, he will carry the fight to his place of worship, to his dining table and sometimes, he will even be fighting the person in his dream.”
