Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday said Nigeria needs a strong ruling and opposition parties for democracy to thrive in the country. Obasanjo said this while speaking with journalists shortly after hosting the Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Mohammed Markafi, at Green Legacy Resort in Abeokuta.
His position was coming less than a week after former Head of State; General Abdulsalami Abubakar told the PDP that it was not playing its opposition role effectively. The former President, who reiterated that he’s done with partisan politics, however, said the decision “does not affect his passion for Nigeria’s growth.” “I have said that publicly before and I will say it again: for our democracy to thrive and continue to be strong, we need strong party in government and strong party in the opposition.
It has to be that way; otherwise the party in government will get away with impunity and that is not good for democracy. “I have said no partisan politics for me again. And not partisan politics, but Nigeria is my passion until death do us part. Anything that concerns Nigeria, the good of Nigeria, you will see my involvement,” he said. On his meeting with Makarfi, the former president said it was a meeting of two former colleagues. “Disna two colleagues meeting, two colleagues before, before; when I was the President, chairman was a governor; two colleagues before, before.
“I have told the chairman that I was in PDP before, but not now. God forbids say when a dog vomits, it will go back to eat its vomit, no. I have said no partisan politics for me again and not partisan politics. “So, the chairman has come to greet me and I greet am. And now that we’ve greeted ourselves, chairman will be going, you gentlemen and ladies of the press; you can now go, leave the Chairman alone.
