Obasanjo: Jonathan orders aides to ceasefire, to reply later

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan speaks at his last presidential campaign rally of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja Saturday, March 26, 2011. President Goodluck Jonathan has round off his presidential campaign rally ahead of April elections. AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI

Dr. Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on media and publicity admitted Wednesday night that President Jonathan had received former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter, in which he excoriated Jonathan for mishandling Nigeria’s and the ruling party affairs.

Although Abati said President Jonathan will at a later date offer a personal response to the letter, President Jonathan has for now ordered his aides not to join issues with the former leader.

Nevertheless, Abati’s response came with many expletives and venom of its own as he described the former President’s letter as “the most reckless, baseless, unjustifiable and indecorous charges levied against him and his administration by the former Head of State.”

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He also attacked the former leader for leaking the letter :”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.”

So, Nigerians will have to wait for the verbal war between the two presidents.

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