TheCable

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says it is not true that he is planning to form a new political party ahead of the 2023 election.

Obasanjo refuted the claim that he was forming a new party in a statement issued by Kehinde Akinyemi, his special assistant on media affairs.

Obasanjo said he is done with partisan politics and that those who say he is forming a new party should visit ‘Yaba Left’.

‘Yaba Left’ is a street term for the psychiatric hospital in Yaba, Lagos state.

“In my part of the world, when you say goodnight in a place, you do not go back there and say good evening. The one who reported that may need to visit Yaba Left. And those who believe it can believe that their mothers are men,” Obasanjo said.

“I’m done with partisan politics but by my position in Nigeria and in Africa and without being immodest and indeed in the world my door must be opened and it is open to any individual or group of individuals who want to seek my opinion, view or advice on any issue or matter and I will respond to the best of my ability, without being part of that individual or group.

“If anything, Chief Obasanjo’s political party today is the party of Nigerians facing insecurity, unemployment, hunger, poverty, and various other challenging issues. It is the party of Nigeria that must be saved, kept wholesomely united in peace, security, equity, development and progress.

“Let those who want to use the back door to force Chief Obasanjo to return to partisan politics respect his choice to remain a non-partisan statesman. On his part, the former President will continue to perform his role as a statesman focused on providing counsel, support, or solutions wherever possible in Nigeria, Africa and indeed the world.”

In 2018, Obasanjo proposed the formation of the Coalition of Nigeria Movement (CNM) as a non-partisan platform that will “redeem” Nigeria from the “lice of poor performance” of the current administration.

He had said he would resign his membership of CNM once it was involved in partisan politics.

The coalition, however, fused into African Democratic Congress (ADC), less than four months after it was formed.