APC, PDP failed to give policy directions at conventions – Obasanjo

A former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Thursday, said the major political parties in Nigeria – the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – which recently held their conventions failed to give any policy direction for the development of Nigeria.

He said the Nigerian problem is entirely about leadership and not the constitution, noting that the military who bequeathed the 1999 constitution to Nigeria gathered the best brains in the land at that time to draft the constitution.

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He spoke in Lagos during a colloquium with the theme, “The African Christian Leadership: Radical Transformation in Unsettled Times” to mark the 61st birthday of Pastor Itua Ighodalo.

Obasanjo also decried the monetization of the political process, recalling that when he contested in 1999, he paid N2m to buy the nomination form.

“Today, they are paying N40m. Some of them (aspirants) even said it is some youths who bought it for them.

“In fact, anybody who would come out to tell you such a lie, you shouldn’t vote for him. Which youths gathered N40m? If you want to buy it, buy it and tell us. You don’t need to lie to us.”

The former President said the problems confronting Nigeria at the moment can only be surmounted by good leadership, noting that Nigeria needed a change of leadership.

“If you say, ‘what is wrong with Nigeria’, leadership. If you say, ‘what do you have to do about Nigeria’, leadership. If you say, ‘where are we taking Nigeria?’ Leadership.”

He insisted that Nigeria could gather the best constitutions in the world, but if those who would implement them were not people with the right attitude and orientation, nothing would be achieved.

“The issue is not the constitution. You can have all the best constitutions in the world and those who will execute, implement and utilize the constitution are not men and women of the right attitude and orientation, you are deceiving yourself.

“The two major parties have had what we called a convention, none of them talked about what would be the programmes, what would be the policies, how will this country move forward, none,” Obasanjo said.