PDP northern caucus moves to remove Obasanjo as BOT chairman

By Emeka Mamah

KADUNA— Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s days as the chairman of the Board of Trustees, BOT, of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, seem to be numbered as some members of the northern caucus of the party  may have resolved to push for his removal following his recent comments on President Umaru Yar’adua’s health condition.

Obasanjo denied ever imposing Yar’Adua on the party during the PDP’s presidential primaries in 2007, saying rather that the President lied to him on his true health position.

However, sources said the caucus had already given Obasanjo the option to resign as the BOT chairman or be forced out of the leadership of the party’s apex advisory body if he refused to do so.

A top member of the party and member of BOT, Senator Walid Jibrin, who made the plans known in Kaduna yesterday said: “Obasanjo does not at all deserve to continue as chairman of the PDP BOT after his shameful and deceitful remarks on President Umaru Yar’Adua.”

In a statement, Jibrin said: “Instead of Obasanjo following the path of honour and morality, he went astray, recommending the resignation of Umaru Yar’Adua by shamelessly opening his mouth wide in the market, a behaviour which may be equated to that of an ‘area boy’.”

Apart from Senator Jibrin, many Nigerians including the former Governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, his Abia State counterpart, Dr. Orji Kalu; counsel to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha’s family, Mr Reuben Atabor, and Chief Rochas Okorocha had criticised Obasanjo over his comments on Yar’Adua.

“Choosing to talk at this crucial time and at the heat of the polity, especially when naked demonstrations against  Yar’Adua are going on, he (Obasanjo) is, therefore, encouraging and giving support to the demonstrators, thus adding more fuel into the fire.

“Any responsible person will not behave the way Obasanjo did. His call for Umaru to take the course of morality by honourably resigning, qualifies Obasanjo’s immoral behaviour as a person who does not respect human dignity as a sympathiser of the sick.

“Going by the last PDP convention, Obasanjo is illegally occupying the position of chairman,  BOT when a new election should have been held in conformity with the decision of the convention.”