I Have Forgiven Atiku -Obasanjo

Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday in Abeokuta said that he had forgiven his former vice-president, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku  as well as any other persons perceived to have offended him of any sin.
The relationship between Atiku and Obasanjo  since 2006 has been sore since Atiku’s alleged role in scuttling the third-term agenda of his boss.
He  spoke while reacting to the request of the Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) who paid him a courtesy visit after their two-day meeting held in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.

As a leader and father,  Obasanjo said he bore no grudge against anybody and if there was any, he had forgiven them.

But addressing the NYLF yesterday, Obasanjo said “on the request that you made yesterday, I do not have any grudge against anybody. And if there is any, I have forgiven all as a father.”

Obasanjo appreciated the group for coming to Abeokuta to make case for a way forward for the country saying that  since 2003,  efforts of the forum  had  been noteworthy.

The statesman also expressed delight that the forum was concerned about the unity of the country added :”I am happy that you have also charged NYLF to continue by ensuring that credible leaders are elected into political office in the country, particularly in 2015?.

Earlier in his address, leader of the delegation and National Chairman of NLYF, Comrade Elliot Afiyo had said that the leadership was in Abeokuta to visit Obasanjo “and to identify with his vision for our great country, Nigeria.”

“We have come to Obasanjo as a father indeed, elder statesman for sure, an advanced citizen per excellence, an honest and forthright leader, courageous and bold democrat, a loving and compassionate”.

He stressed that with such positive attributes, Obasanjo has no option or alternative than “to chastise and later forgive and embrace both the good and bad characters.

“In view of this, we humbly request that you forgive your former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of whatever political sin or offence he might have committed against you. We bow our ourselves before you on his behalf and plead for mercy and understanding.”
He added that the mission to come and plead for Atiku “does not in any way stop you (Obasanjo) from charting any noble political course for the nation come 2015.”

The group also solicited the commitment of Obasanjo in finding lasting solution “o the incessant blood shedding in the country, particularly the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East and the communal clashes in Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, Taraba and Kogi states.”

While boasting that the group would definitely shape the direction of any election as witnessed in 2003, 2007,and 2011, Afiyo added that the body had collectively and unanimously decided to come and consult Obasanjo “as the oracle of a better Nigeria before taking any decision because of our numerical strength of over 12 million registered members.