Quote:“Let’s dissect it: Yes Asiwaju and GMB as he then was, were not in the same party in 2003. But they were not on each other’s path to warrant any hard feelings in the first instance. GMB was contesting for the presidency in 2003, Asiwaju was Lagos governor seeking re-election which he got. GMB was contesting against President Obasanjo.

“Truth is Asiwaju would even wish that GMB defeated the dictatorial President Obasanjo who ruled the country on his whims. Against a clear decision of the Supreme Court Obasanjo seized Lagos allocation and did many unthinkable.

Asiwaju would not descend so low as to label anyone ethnic bigot or religious fanatic.

“These words are neither of him nor relate to him in any way. The agents of darkness who are bent on sowing seeds of discord at this time the nation is confronting challenges of insecurity and religious extremism should tell us when he uttered those words.

“Where did he speak? Was it a newspaper interview? Was it a public lecture? No source. No attribution. The merchants of fake news just did a fantastic quote to cause mischief and create discord. We should not allow them.”

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Tinubu was right for calling Buhari a tribalist, religious fanatic, says Obasanjo

Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says All Progressives Congress stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was right to call President Muhammadu Buhari an ethnic bigot and religious fanatic in 2007.

Tinubu had while campaigning for the then candidate of the Action Congress, Atiku Abubakar, in 2007, described Buhari of the All Nigeria Peoples Party as an ethnic bigot.

Interestingly, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who is now the Minister of Information, was part of Atiku’s campaign team at the time and had lambasted Buhari for saying the late military dictator, General Sani Abacha, did not steal.

Both Tinubu and Mohammed are now members of Buhari’s campaign team after the merger of their respective parties.

In a statement on Sunday, Obasanjo made reference to Tinubu’s scathing attack on Buhari.

He wrote, “Bola Tinubu’s statement about Muhammadu Buhari in 2003 (2007) is fairly prophetic, ‘Muhammadu Buhari is an agent of destabilisation, ethnic bigot and religious fanatic who, if given the chance, would ensure the disintegration of the country. His ethnocentrism would jeopardize Nigeria’s national unity.’”