Few days after he accused President Goodluck Jonathan of orchestrating a tenure elongation plot, which he dubbed the “Gbagbo treatment”, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has dumped the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying he is no longer interested in partisan politics as he is now a statesman.
Although this is a developing story, there are reports the ex-president allegedly tore his PDP membership card in public.
You may recall that the Presidency and PDP had made various attempts to appease Obasanjo to no avail, which led to speculations that the ex-president may be suspended for anti-party activities.
Perhaps his dumping of the ruling party is a pre-emptive move.
Details later…
***UPDATE***
According to Daily Trust report, Obasanjo handed over his PDP membership card to the leader of his Ward 11, in Abeokuta North local government, Alhaji Surajudeen Oladunjoye and instructed him to tear it.
Oladunjoye, who led about 350 members of the ward on a fact-finding mission to the ex-president’s residence, tore the card into shreds to the admiration of the party followers, some of whom also tore their cards in solidarity.
Addressing members of the press in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Mr. Obasanjo said if his involvement in partisan politics would stop him from having a better Nigeria, then he is ready to sacrifice membership of the PDP and become a statesman.
The former Nigerian leader, who was responding to questions on rumours to expel him from the ruling party, directed his aide to get his membership card and few minutes after he was given, threw it away, declaring that “if this is why we cannot have the Nigeria we desire, I am no longer part of this”.
Obasanjo ruled Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 for two terms of eight years on the platform of PDP. He had previously led the country as a military head of state from 1976 to 1979 before he voluntarily handed-over power to a civilian president, Alhaji Shehu Shagari.
Bana it’s not too lets for u to live PDP?
It is better for him to be a statesman than being entangled in unnecessary political imbroglios with people that are far his junior in governance. Let his take be that of advisory, and no more struggling with boys in government. It does not accord him any honour.
All I can say is that Baba is a Nigerian, so he has the exclusive right to support whoever he wants.
Chief Obasanjo is greedy, selfish, an ingrate, wicked and gluttonous. He is angry because President Jonathan refused to allow him dip his hands into the country’s treasury and use our funds freely especially on his demand for donation to his Library. He is not fair to Jonathan, PDP and Nigerians. It is not as if he likes Buhari or Osinbajo, all he wants is to return to Presidency through interim arrangement which he is scheming for unknown to Buhari and APC that Obasanjo has a different agenda. Nigerians beware, if he can do this to PDP, what do you think he will do to APC, Buhari, Tinubu and Amechi and co. God will judge all of us with our attitudes to fellow human beings.
He has done well by leaving the party. Our level of aweaness and conciousness has for long anticipated his leaving. It would have been bad that he was suspended from the party that once gave him mandate for anti-party activities as was already the case. But all thesame, Cheers to the future success of the PDP!
Na Jonathan b Last Civilian President
Move out from PDP,it’s just like he move away from sin,lies,killing and other things that against God,I pray God will surely forgive you for all intended & unintended sin you did.as you’re steeping to knew life God is surely be with you.Ameen.
What is Nigeria turning to most especially PDP, may God save this country.
Who told you that, you have been a Stateman?You have been a traitor,a sell out,dancing naked in the market place.Running with the hare,and hunting with the hound.Watch and learn from Gen.Yakubu Gowon,Alhaji Shehu Shagari among others,on the code of conduct for Statemen.A good riddance from PDP.Go to the marine,where you rightly belong.
it is too late for obasanjo to withdraw from politics he does not worth a tissue papper for the moment while other past leaders are celebrated on daily bases
This chief need psychiatric medical check up.Something have been wrong upstairs.
If PDP is a failed party, then you are the number one failure emeritus.
If it is corrupt, then the foundation which includes you is the most corrupt.
After you don cause trouble you want hide under elder statemenship?
Its too late to assume that role.
So just keep quiet.
whoever doubt the strength of political power as well as the power of position should ask Obasanjo why he couldn’t make GEJ rule Nigeria the way he(obasanjo) wanted and yet couldn’t do anything to GEJ.
If APC members know what is good 4 them, they wouldn’t give any key position to OBJ.
We haven’t seen the end of Obasanjo and the PDP- he is just a missionary in APC.
This man is an old idiot, useless man that sleeps with his son’s wife.
What are the characteristics of a statesman?
Does he match the characteristics or the characteristics are being tailored to match him?
OBJ if you like tear your pant I don’t care
You are a failure
Simple, you want to Control GEJ and he refuses
Secondly you don’t want him to match your record of longest Nigerian ruler
Well I wish you all the best. You will some tear APC card too.
We are watching out for your part 2
Otta part card part 2……watch out
OBJ must u wash ur dirty pant in public. You hv bn the problem of this country. Just because GEJ didn’t give u room to control him u turn to b a wolf to him. Mayb is even right time to confess ur sins. Elder stateman my foot.this is also the basis of forming APC* greedy set of ppl
God bless obj say d truth….PDP is corrupt killers…they dnt pray for progress of our country…jonathan is a thief nd corrupt…he can’t rule Nigeria…God punish anybody dat support PDP….God bless naija…
Obj is flaky&he knows it.Let him alone
See how your name full for Nigeria thief thief and your norther counterpart. Tear it for all we care,Old useless fool.
The richest oil blocks in Nigeria is owned by a few hundreds of persons while half of 160 million Nigerians live below S1 dollar daily. This injustice and wickedness must be corrected by whosoever wins the elections – whether Buhari, Jonathan, Interim Government, Boko Haram or civilian revolution. When I wrote the report titled ‘How Babangida, Abacha, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo Shared Nigeria’s Oil Blocks’ in April 2012, which was later rephrased as ‘20 Owners of Richest Oil Blocks in Nigeria ’ I had thought that the uproar and public condemnation that followed the report both nationally and internationally will precipitate an administrative investigation into the manner of the awards to sift the transparent deals which passed due diligence from those awarded after some bedroom performances. It is unfortunate that President Jonathan failed to revoke these illegal licenses to few criminals during his first tenure. Instead some more blocks and contracts were given another set of criminals under his watch. Had he taken such actions, the fear of defeat in the pols would have been non-existent because Nigerians from all tribes and faith enslaved by this bondage would have risen in his defense. It is not yet late for Jonathan, Buhari, Interim Government or even Boko Haram which soever succeeds in May 29th to revisit the disturbing sharing of Nigeria’s Oil Blocks to a few persons without recourse to transparency and put it back into the hands of the people. Those who proved they obtained theirs transparently should not be victimized under any circumstances.
Below again are the 30 Facts about the Fraudulent Sharing of Nigeria’s Oil Blocks and those involved
(1)The process of sharing Nigeria’s oil block national cake is as fraudulent now as when Ibrahim Babangida started the process of discretionary allocation of oil blocks to indigenous firms. Discretionary allocation of oil blocks entails that a president can reward a mistress who performs wonderfully with an oil block with capacity for cumulative yield of over $20 billion dollars without recourse to any process outside of manhood attachments. Babangida, Abacha, Abdulsalami and Obasanjo awarded discretionary oil blocks to friends, associates, family members, party chieftains, security chiefs and all categories of bootlickers, spokespersons and cult members without any laid down procedures.
(2)The recipients of such oil blocks will get funds from ever willing offshore financiers and partners to graciously settle the benefactors, the awarders, facilitators and the Commander-in-Chief through fronts. These settlements mostly paid into foreign accounts runs into hundreds of millions of dollars according to the potential yield of the block. Sometimes, the awarder (sharer of national cake and direct intermediaries) demand additional stakes in the bidding company. The awarder sends fronts as part of the directorship and management of the bidding firms without leaving a link to them. That is how the oil block national cake is distributed to a few Nigerians.
(3) Signature bonuses which are paid when an investor successfully bids, wins and signs agreement with the petroleum ministry, running into tens of millions and sometimes hundreds of millions of naira, is often waived off. There is actually no waiver; rather a diversion of what would have been paid to government coffers is paid into private purse as appreciation gifts. That is why those in the Petroleum Ministry dread retirement as though it signifies going to hell fire. No matter how little your influence, something substantial must enter your hands especially in hard currency. The nation loses billions of dollars in diverted revenue whenever any round of auction occurs.
Some of these oil field has the capacity of between 300,000 -500,000 barrels of oil daily.
(4) OML 110 OBE given by Sanni Abacha in 1996 to Alhaji Mai Daribe under Cavendish Petroleum had estimated over 500 million barrels of oil. In layman’s language and using average benchmark of
$100 dollars per barrel, translates to $50 billion dollars’ worth of oil reserve. This means that $20billion dollars’ worth of oil in the hands of a family or $170 million dollars’ worth of oil daily.
(5) OPL 246 was awarded to SAPETRO, a company owned by General Theophilus Danjuma, by Sanni Abacha in 1998. Akpo condensate exports about 300,000 barrels of crude daily.
(6) OML 112 and OML 117 were awarded to AMNI International Petroleum Development Company owned by Colonel Sanni Bello in 1999. Sanni Bello is an in-law to Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State of Nigeria.
(7) OML 115, OLDWOK Field and EBOK field was awarded to Alhaji Mohammed Indimi from Niger State. Indimi is an inlaw to former Military President Ibrahim Babangida.
(8) OML 215 is operated by Nor East Petroleum Limited owned by Alhaji Saleh Mohammed Gambo.
(9) OML 108 is operated by Express Petroleum Company Limited is owned by Alhaji Aminu Dantata. Obasanjo , with the help of Andy Uba, awarded OPL 2008 to Tenoil Petroleum & Oil Services owned by Tony Elumelu and Jim Ovia
(10) OPL 2009 and 2010 were awarded to Global Energy Group owned by Chief Suleiman Onabiyi and Joseph Obiago . That is why a lot of major players in the oil industry owes Obasanjo and Andy Uba a lot.
(11) OML II3 allocated to Yinka Folawiyo Pet Ltd is owned by Alhaji W.I. folawiyo. Asuopku/Umuntu ( Egbema marginal oil fields) was awarded to Platform Petroleum in 2003 by Obasanjo.
(12) In 2010 Platform Petroleum (owned by Edmund Daukoru, a Bayelsa prince and Lulu Briggs among others) and Seplat ( owned by Prince Nasiru Ado Bayero, cousin to the Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi) teamed up in landmark partnership to manage the venture.
(13) Intel owned by Atiku, Yar’adua and Ado Bayero has substantial stakes in Nigeria’s oil exploration industry both in Nigeria and Principe and Sao Tome. AMNI owns two oil blocks OML 112 and OML 117 which it runs Afren plc and Vitol has substantial stakes in oil blocks.
(14) OML 112 is estimated to have 130 million barrels of oil valued with the current price of $100 dollars per barrel at S13 billion dollars with 25 year lease.
(15) Afren plc is operating EBOK oil fields in OML 67. Vitol lifts 300,000 barrels of Nigerian oil daily. Rilwanu Lukman, former OPEC Chairman has stakes in all these named three companies.
(16) OPL 245 was awarded to Malabu Oil& Gas Company by Sanni Abacha. Dan Etete, Abacha’s oil minister owns Malabu Oil. In 2000, Vice President Atiku Abubakar convinced Obasanjo to revoke OPL 245 given to Malabu Oil. Etete had earlier rejected Atiku’s demand for substantial stakes in the high yield
(17) OPL 245 and it attracted the venom of Ota Majesty who revoked the licence. However, in 2006, Obasanjo had mercy on Dan Etete and gave him back his oil block worth over $20billion dollars.
(18) OPL 289 and OPL 233 was awarded during Obasanjo era to Peter Odili fronts, Cleanwater Consortium, consisting of Clenwater Refinery and RivGas Petroleum and Gas Company. Odili’s brother in law, Okey Ezenwa manages the consortium as Vice Chairman.
(19) OPL 286 is managed by Focus Energy in partnership with BG Group, a British oil concern. Andy Uba has stakes in Focus Energy and his modus operandi is such that you can never see his name in any listings yet he controls OPL and OML through proxies.
(20) OPL 291 was awarded to Starcrest Energy Nigeria Limited, owned by Emeka Offor by Obasanjo . Immediately after the award, Starcrest sold the oil block to Addax Petroleum Development Company Limited (ADDAX) Addax paid Sir Emeka Offor a farming fee of $35million dollars and still paid the signature bonus to the government. Emeka Offor still retains stake in ADDAX operations in Nigeria.
(21) Mike Adenuga’s Conoil is the oldest indigenous oil exploration industry in Nigeria. Conoil has six oil blocks and exports above 200,000 barrels of crude daily.
(22) The oil block national cake sharing fiesta could take twists according to the mood of the Commander-in “Chief at the particular time. In 2006, Obasanjo revoked OPL 246 which Abacha gave to Danjuma because he refused to support the tenure elongation bid of the Ota Majesty.
(23) In 2000, Obasanjo had earlier revoked OPL 241 given to Dan Etete under the advice Atiku. However, when the Obasanjo-Atiku face off started, the Ota Majesty made a u-turn and handed back the oil block to Etete.
(24) During the time of Late President Yar’adua , a panel headed by Olusegun Ogunjana was set up to investigate the level of transparency in the award of oil blocks. The panel recommended that 25 oil blocks awarded by the Obasanjo be revoked because the manner they were obtained failed to meet the best practices in the industry. Sadiq Mahmood, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum endorsed the report to then president with all its recommendations. As a result of the report Yarádua revoked eleven oil blocks.
(25) In April 2011 Mike Adenuga attempted to buy Shell’s OML 30 for $1.2 billion dollars. The Minister for Petroleum and Nigeria’s most powerful woman refused the sale of the OML30 to Adenuga citing national interest. This block was sold to Heritage Oil for $800 million dollars eleven months later.
(26) This oil block business is so lucrative that Danjuma’s Sapetro divested of its investment in Akpo condensate for $1billion dollars.
(27) This business is second to none in Nigeria. That is why any attempt to investigate the activities in this sector will always be futile. The money is so much that they give bribes in millions of dollars. A birthday gift or child naming gift from an oil block owner to a government official could be as paltry as $2million dollars, and if the official’s father died, the condolence gift could reach mere $3 million dollars. When they want to bribe legislators, it is in millions of dollars and any ongoing investigation ends within weeks. They are so confident that with excess money they can buy up Nigeria and they are succeeding.
(28) In the name of competitive bidding, which Obasanjo introduced in 2005, officials bring companies overnight and through processes best described as secretive and voodooist, awards blocks to party faithful, fronts and phoney companies. They collect gratifications running into hundreds of millions of dollars which is paid into offshore account and the nation loses billions of dollars of revenue to private pockets.
(29) During the third term agenda, Obasanjo was deceived that the allocation of oil block to party faithfuls is to fund the third term agenda. With the failure of the third term, the beneficiaries went home with their fortunes and thanked God or Allah for buttering their bread. Senator Andy Uba coordinated the award of the last rounds of oil blocks by Obasanjo in 2005 and 2007. The then minister of petroleum, Edwin Daukoru was a mere errand boy who took instructions from the presidential aide.
(30) The regime of President Goodluck is not showing any signs of changing the status quo. Controversies have trailed the activities of the Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Madueke and many players in the Industry accuse her of demanding stakes from every oil deal. Diezani Madueke had also soiled herself in different oil deals and also awarded oil contracts to fictitious companies.
It is hoped that President Goodluck Jonathan will remember his transformational promise to Nigerians and endeavor to face the hawks in the oil industry. The angst in the air is so much that if this monster of illegal allocation of oil block is not addressed, the much touted revolution could begin all of a sudden and all who condoned this illegality at the expense of hungry Nigerians may have nowhere to hide.
With the rot in this oil block awarding system and other loot all over the Nigerian nation, something worse than revolution may happen.
@Emeka, u r a big fool for saying “God punish anybody that supports PDP” everyone has freedom of association so stop swearing and use your brain for once.
Following his announcement, Obasanjo asked that his PDP membership ID card be torn by the Chairman of his ward 11 Ita-Eko, Sumonu Oladunjoye, telling the visitors that he was no longer a member of the ruling party.
Speaking to journalists in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, he further maintained that he isn’t prepared to join another political party, as he wishes to remain an elder statesman.
Video – Obasanjo’s PDP Membership Card Torn To Shreds
http://www.thekillerpunch.com/video-obasanjos-pdp-membership-card-torn-to-shreds/
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