Posted by By TONY ICHEKU, Abuja on
Over twenty-five years after he sacrificed his all to become the governor of old Ondo State, but failed, Chief Akin Omoboriowo now counsels fellow politicians to look up to God for political leadership. Only God ordains leaders. In I Samuel 2, God says I put to the grave, I put alive, I promote".
Over twenty-five years after he sacrificed his all to become the governor of old Ondo State, but failed, Chief Akin Omoboriowo now counsels fellow politicians to look up to God for political leadership. Only God ordains leaders. In I Samuel 2, God says I put to the grave, I put alive, I promote".
Retired from partisan politics and devoted to spreading the word of God, Chief Omoboriowo in an interview with Saturday Sun spiced his speech quotes from the Bible.
On the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which upheld the election of President Umar Yar'Adua, Omoboriowo preached that the political actors must accept the court's verdict.
'The Elections Petition Tribunal has exercised its powers, the panel has gone through the case and handed down a decision based on findings and it has a right to tell the world the findings on which the judgment was based.
'I think the elections was marred by massive irregularities which was even acknowledged by President Umaru Yar'Adua himself, he acknowledged it.
But the degree of irregularities is what you and I cannot pontificate upon unless we have concrete evidence. My own view is that we should accept the verdict of the Tribunal, while the aggrieved parties, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and General Muhammadu Buhari (retired) have the right to appeal to the apex court, the Supreme Court if they wish to. And when the Supreme Court rules that is the end of the matter, we are law-abiding citizens.
'The judgment was political. I tend to think it is. But as a senior citizen of this country, I want to appeal to Nigerians to accept what the Tribunal has given as its verdict on the matter, subject to the right of appeal by the aggrieved parties, if the Supreme Court confirms the status-quo, there is nothing else we can do. If it overturns the decision of the Tribunal, well, a new situation arises, until then Yar'Adua remains our president and we should give him all the cooperation he needs in delivering democracy dividends to the people of Nigeria ."
'We must see Atiku and Buhari as patriots who want democracy to thrive in this country and to be seem to be thriving. Their fight is not theirs alone, but one for the common good of the nation.
'Both are wonderful democrats, but I urge them to accept the verdict of the Tribunal while they appeal to the Supreme Court and be prepared to accept its verdict.
'they should accept the situation now subject to their appeal at the Supreme Court and whatever comes out, if the Supreme Court says Yar'Adua is duly elected, then they should all accept and unite to develop the country.
'I want to praise Atiku and Buhari who have said they are taking their case to the Supreme Court. Let then fight their cause to the highest court in the land, but at the end of the day, if the Supreme Court said it is Yar'Adua, they should all come and embrace Yar'Adua. Even the four years is not certain, nothing is certain, only God is certain, because a man can sleep today. But by the constitution, Yar"Adua is there for four years, and only God ordains leadership.
PDP Convention Chief Omoboriowo contends that its most unhealthy for the polity for former President Olusegun Obasanjo to want to cling to the levers of power by manipulating to make himself the chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of PDP.
'At the level of Obasanjo, it is most irresponsible, a Yoruba man who ruled Nigeria for eight years as elected president, and who had ruled Nigeria for three years as a military dictator to cling to PDP BOT chairman. What glamour is in the BOT for him to be chairman? I think it is irresponsibility, political irresponsibility or political rascality. I think PDP should bestir itself and tell Obasanjo, ‘we have no business with you on this'
He was not elected, he imposed himself, I know that constitutional amendment would not be legitimate.