Presidency Fires Back at Obasanjo over “Self-Serving, Provocative Letter”

The Presidency on Wednesday reacted to the letter written by former Preisent Olusegun Obasanjo in which he accused the President of returning Nigeria to the dark Abacha years. In a release, Media Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr Reuben Abati described Obasanjo’s letter as self-serving and provocative.

Below is the text of the response from the Presidency.

“OBASANJO’S LETTER UNBECOMING, SELF-SERVING AND HIGHLY PROVOCATIVE”

We have noted the publication on several websites today of a letter recently written by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

The Presidency acknowledges that it has indeed received the said letter from Chief Obasanjo.

We however find it highly unbecoming, mischievous and provocative that a letter written by a former Head of State and respected elder statesman to President Jonathan has been deliberately leaked to the mass media in a deplorable effort to impugn the integrity of the President and denigrate his commitment to giving Nigeria the best possible leadership.

While many patriotic, objective and well-meaning Nigerians have already condemned the leaked letter as self-serving, hypocritical, malicious, indecent, and very disrespectful of the highest office in the land, President Jonathan has directed that none of his aides or any government official should join issues with Chief Obasanjo over it.

The President himself will, at the appropriate time, offer a full personal response to the most reckless, baseless, unjustifiable and indecorous charges levied against him and his administration by the former Head of State.

Reuben Abati

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

December 11, 2013″