FLASHBACK: Read What El-Rufai Said When OBJ Wrote To Jonathan

When Chief Olusegun Obasanjo fired shots at ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in December 2013, a lot of Nigerians, especially Nasir El-Rufai showered praises on the former military leader.

In an 18-page letter dated December, 2, 2013, Obasanjo advised then President Jonathan against the dangers lurking around him.

He said the country was retrogressing and he could sense a semblance between Jonathan’s era and that of former dictator, General Sani Abacha.

The letter reads in part: “I am constrained to make this an open letter to you for a number of reasons. One, the current situation and consequent possible outcome dictate that I should, before the door closes on reason and promotion of national interest, alert you to the danger that may be lurking in the corner.

“Two, none of the four or more letters that I have written to you in the past two years or so has elicited an acknowledgment or any response. Three, people close to you, if not yourself, have been asking, what does Obasanjo want? Four, I could sense a semblance between the situation that we are gradually getting into and the situation we fell into as a nation during the Abacha era.

“Five, everything must be done to guard, protect and defend our fledgling democracy, nourish it and prevent bloodshed. Six, we must move away from advertently or inadvertently dividing the country along weak seams of North-South and Christian-Moslem. Seven, nothing should be done to allow the country to degenerate into economic dormancy, stagnation or retrogression.

“Eight, some of our international friends and development partners are genuinely worried about signs and signals that are coming out of Nigeria. Nine, Nigeria should be in a position to take advantage of the present favourable international interest to invest in Africa – an opportunity that will not be open for too long. Ten, I am concerned about your legacy and your climb-down which you alone can best be the manager of, whenever you so decide.”

El-Rufai, a major critique of Goodluck Jonathan, had in a Facebook post called on Nigerians to ensure they read the letter, which according to him “competes as one of the most acerbic letters in modern history”.

El-Rufai wrote: “Obasanjo’s Letter to GEJ is a must read…EXCLUSIVE: Obasanjo writes Jonathan, accuses president of lying, destroying Nigeria, promoting corruption” – by Musikilu Mojeed via PREMIUM TIMES – 11-12-13.

“An apparently angry and frustrated ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has written what clearly competes as one of the most acerbic letters in moden history to President Goodluck Jonathan, accusing him of ineptitude and of taking actions calculated at destroying Nigeria.

“Nigeria is bleeding and the hemrrhage must be stopped,” Mr. Obasanjo said in the 18-page letter dated December 2, 2013 and exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday.”