Photo credit: funny-pictures

ALL Progressives Congress (APC) chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has revealed that his party was on the verge of issuing former president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo with a membership card after he left the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Last month, Chief Obasanjo publicly tore up his PDP membership card following continued disagreements with President Goodluck Jonathan over the direction in which his administration was taking the country. After the government decided to postpone the forthcoming elections by six weeks, Chief Obasanjo described President Jonathan as someone engaged in do-or-die politics that is hell-bent on staying in office at all costs and subsequently tore up his PDP membership card.

Following the act, the APC considered issuing Chief Obasanjo with a membership card of its own but decided against it for the time being. Speaking at Chief Obasanjo's 87th birthday celebrations in Abeokuta, Chief Oyegun said they deliberated on the matter but decided to allow the man enjoy his new status of elder statesman.

 Chief Oyegun said:  “My president, my boss, someone I admire and later became my friend. Somebody was tearing his card sometimes ago, leaders of our great party, APC hurriedly sat and said we should issue him our card but we decided against it.

 "He has now become truly father of Nigeria and we will be demeaning him if we went to him and say here is APC card. You have done APC a very great good by leaving the PDP because we all know your worth and what you are up to but now that you remain an elder statesman with no political party attached to you, you know our presidential candidate very well, you know what he stands for, you know what he can do and not do.”

 He described Chief Obasanjo as a father, a non-partisan leader and the first of its kind in the history of this country. Someone who everyone can run to for advice and a kind of man that if he tells you well done, just go home and relax because if you have not done well, he will tell you to go to hell.

 According to Chief Oyegun, he told Chief Obasanjo 20 years ago that he is the only leader everybody in this country will want to listen to. He added that everyone loves him and is proud to have been part of this historic birthday for a great man.