President Jonathan Responds To Former President Obasanjo's Attack

Goodluck Jonathan has declared that he is not ready to join issues with former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the latter’s decision to tear his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) membership card, on Monday.

President Jonathan, who granted an interview to a team of Tribune editors, in Lagos, on Thursday, said that senior citizens must always remember the need to keep Nigeria united even when they have cause to disagree politically.President Jonathan stated that Obasanjo remained his father, adding that disagreement should be expected between political children and their father.

When asked to comment on his quarrel with the former president and tell Nigerians exactly what was responsible for the criticisms he (Obasanjo) had launched against him in recent times, Jonathan said: “Obasanjo is a father to me.”

The president said: “First and foremost, Obasanjo is a father to me. By divine providence and the grace of God, I am the President of Nigeria today. It is not by my strength. But God uses human beings to actualise His own blessings on human beings. And He used so many Nigerians, including former President Obasanjo, to play one role or the other for me.

“I became the deputy governor of a state, became the governor, the vice president and president. I have no issues with him, and I really don’t want to join issues with President Obasanjo. I think it is not necessary.”“For one reason or the other, Obasanjo may disagree with me as his first political son. You can even disagree with your own biological children, as a human being, not to talk of disagreeing with your political children. So, he can agree or disagree with me, but the utterances have to be managed in a way that it does not affect the economy and security of this country.”