I Hope Nothing Will Stop 2023 Elections — Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Wednesday, expressed hope that nothing would stop the conduct of the general elections scheduled for February 25 and March 11.

Obasanjo spoke while hosting the members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at his penthouse residence located within the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun state capital.

The BoT members were led by their Chairman, Dr. Mani Ibrahim Ahmed, the national chairman of the party, Prof. Ralph Okey Nwosu, and the former Presidential aspirant of the party, Chukwuka Monye.

Obasanjo spoke against the backdrop of the concerns by many Nigerians that the election might be postponed following the growing hardship and protests created by the naira and fuel scarcity.

The former President said the attention of the global community had shifted to Nigeria’s election and therefore Nigerians as main stakeholders should contribute towards the success of the elections.

He said, “We are in an interesting period in Nigeria. In less than three weeks, we will be going to the polls.., well, I hope nothing will intervene against that. In less than three weeks, we will be electing a leader that will pilot the affairs of Nigeria for the next four years from May.

“And all of us in Nigeria, again, as I have said to you, early this morning, I have been in Togo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire from the beginning of the week, from Sunday and they are as concerned about what happens in Nigeria as every Nigerian should be.

“Last night before I left Abidjan, President Ouattara (Alassane) was telling me the position in West Africa that Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are vying for and he said to me, well we are putting it on hold until after Nigeria’s election. So even for them, Nigeria’s election is of importance. And I believe that for us who are directly involved, we cannot be any less important than those people.

“Your party (ADC) is one significant parties in existence in this country and your voice matter, therefore, I understand why you are here and we are here also as a family, we all in Nigeria we are a family, Nigeria family and therefore when we gather together we can also talk and discuss as members of the same family – Nigeria family for what is of concern to Nigeria.”

Earlier in his address, Ahmed told Obasanjo that ADC “is at the crossroads just like Nigeria”, saying the visit was to seek the former President’s advice on the way forward.