I have no grudge against anyone in PDP –Obasanjo

Th

e former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday said he bore no grudge against anybody in the Peoples Democratic Party. He, however, said he was not happy with the choice of Mr. Buruji Kashamu as the Chairman, Mobilisation and Organisation committee of the party in the South-West. The former president was reacting to the plea made last week by the PDP chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, the Senate President, David Mark, and a former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, for him to return to the party. In a statement on Sunday, Obasanjo described the plea to come back to the party as wrong and a great misrepresentation. He said he was away to South Africa to attend a meeting of the African Union on crisis in South Sudan when he heard about the plea for forgiveness. He said, “Talking of inviting me back to the PDP is wrong and it is a great misrepresentation as I have never left the PDP and I will never leave the PDP. I have said it before and I will say it again, I rose to become the President of Nigeria on the platform of the PDP and for that reason alone, I will remain a card-carrying and ward-active member of the PDP for as long as I have to be a political party member.” He also added that nobody had personally offended him as a result of his membership of the PDP. Obasanjo, however, noted that if anybody or group felt offended by his continued membership of the PDP, he would offer an unreserved apology and would continue to remain in the party. He said, “I have had occasions to say to the President (Goodluck Jonathan), the Senate President (David Mark) and the party chairman separately that I have no quarrel with any individual or group in the party. There are, for me, issues of principle, morality, honour, integrity, commitment, and character which are paramount.” Obasanjo added, “For instance, as a former President of Nigeria, the Chairman of West Africa Commission on Drug and a member of the Global Commission on Drug, I cannot accept that the zonal leader of my political party and, worse still in my zone, will be an indicted drug baron wanted in America. How do I explain that to friends outside Nigeria? This is only one of the many issues that I have pointed and still pointing out.” He said he had a “national and international standard to maintain and reputation to keep and sustain.” And for these reasons, he had opted to remain active only at the ward level of the Party till the leadership did the needful. He said his commitment to the party was total and under no condition would it diminish.