Chief Ebenezer Babatope, member, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustee (BoT), said the exit of former President Olusegun Obasanjo from PDP would not affect the fortune of the party.
Babatope, who stated this while reacting to the report of Obasanjo’s exit from the party on Monday in Abuja, said it was a welcomed development.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that former President Obasanjo was reported to have torn his PDP-membership card in a bid to maintain neutrality as an elder statesman in the polity.
This was after he had accused President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP of plotting to frustrate the conduct of the forthcoming general elections.
“Obasanjo leaving the PDP has come as a happy and welcome development. With his exit, a huge yoke has been lifted off the neck of PDP,’’ Babatope said.
He commended the PDP leadership for being patient in dealing with Obasanjo’s offensives against the party all the while.
Babatope, who described Obasanjo as a hard fighter, however, said his exit would have no effect on the PDP’s electoral fortune.
“With God on our side, the PDP would emerge victorious in the coming elections,’’ he said.
Also, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Director of Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, earlier, described Obasanjo’s allegations against Jonathan and the PDP, as serious, grave and reckless.
According to him, Obasanjo`s allegations are capable of derailing the country`s democracy and creating chaos.
He, however, said Obasanjo had attacked the President and the party because he (Jonathan) and the BoT of the party refused to accept instructions from the ex-president.
“After Jonathan came to power, Obasanjo has not only tried to have overbearing influence on him but has asked him to do a number of things that were wrong and unacceptable,’’ Fani-Kayode said.
