President Goodluck a Jonathan on Wednesday fired back former leaders of the country who have made issuance of provocative statements their pastime, saying they are not worthy to be called elder statesmen.
in apparent reference to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Muhammadu Buhari, President Goodluck Jonathan, said that going by their unguarded statements capable of throwing the country into a spin, they are not better than motor park touts.
Jonathan spoke while receiving members of the Northern Elders Council at the State House.
According to a visibly angry Jonathan, some past leaders are not qualified to be called “senior citizens” or “elder statesmen” but just ordinary politicians.
He accused them of making provocative statements aimed at causing ethnic divisions and setting the country ablaze.
The President, however, assured Nigerians that very soon, they will know more about the past leaders and will then be able to judge.
His words: “Some people call themselves statesmen but they are not statesmen, they are just ordinary politicians.
“For you to be a statesman is not because you have occupied a big office before but the question is what are you bringing to bear?
“Are you building this country?
“Or are you a part of people who tell lie to destroy this country?
“To create enmity and make people who ordinarily would have been living together to fight themselves?
“Are you planning to set the country ablaze because you did not get that particular thing you want?
“At the appropriate time, Nigerians will know all of us even though I know most of you know us, but the younger ones do not know.
“Some people are hiding under some clogs, some big names and creating a lot of problems in this country.
“Making provocative statements in this country, statements that will set this country ablaze and you tell me you are a senior citizen.
“You are not a senior citizen.
“You can never be.
“You are ordinary motor park tout because if you are a senior citizen, you will act like one.
“It is not because of the offices we occupy.
“It’s by divine grace and providence that some of us occupy these offices. B
“ut what role are you playing to build this country?”
Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation, Tanko Yakassai, submitted that the Council believed the southern part of the country must also be allowed to lead, in line with zoning arrangement commenced in 1999.
Yakassai said: “Mr. President, Nigeria is passing through political transformation and it is important to all Nigerians and indeed Northerners to appreciate the fact that this country was crafted in such a manner that no one section if the country can rule the country without support of the other.
“It is unpatriotic for anybody to instigate people against any person or peoples because of a temporary gain.
“Politics of insult, blackmail and castigation of individuals shall not take this country anywhere.
“We therefore believe in peaceful co-existence among Nigerians and by working together shall we move the country forward.”
