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| Former President Olusegun Obasanjo |
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has asked
Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, to shut up and seek God’s forgiveness
for abusing him barely two years after he begged him in a letter over
previous insults.
Governor Fayose had last week in Ile Ife,
Osun State, lambasted Obasanjo for what he called Obasanjo’s unnecessary
outbursts on President Goodluck Jonathan.
But Obasanjo, through one of his associates
who craved anonymity in Abeokuta on Friday, said that Fayose who wrote
him a letter, begging him two years ago to facilitate his (Fayose)
return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could be attacking him
again so soon.
The Obasanjo associate asked Nigerians not to
take Fayose serious as he would soon write another letter of apology to
the former president.
Fayose’s letter, dated 26th June, 2012,
exclusively in possession of Saturday Tribune, contained how Fayose
begged Obasanjo for forgiveness for what he called his actions that had
caused embarrassment to the former president. The tone of the letter
also asked the former president to help him facilitate his return to the
PDP.
The former president, in his reply to
Fayose’s letter, dated July 18,2012, accepted to forgive the Ekiti State
governor but told him that the aspect of facilitating his return to the
party needed to be handled at the local, state and the national levels
of the party.
Below is the unedited content of the letter Fayose wrote to Obasanjo and the former president’s reply to Fayose’s letter.
Fayose’s Letter:
“Dear Baba,
“There is
no denying the fact that my relationship with you has gone sour as a
result of my action and inaction which have definitely caused you
embarrassment in public and this has marred our very good father-son
relationship in the past.
“I take responsibility for my over reaction and disrespect to your person which is most regretted, I am indeed sorry.
“I pray
that God will give you the grace to let go of the past knowing fully
well that I am human and therefore not infallible especially considering
the circumstances surrounding my removal from office.
“To
further buttress my willingness to seek peace with you, I could recall
that I had made several efforts to this effect by consulting your close
allies in the persons of Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), Chief Omilani and
Pastor Oyedepo amongst others.
“Lastly,
kindly disregard all insinuations or political blackmailing suggestive
of my doing or saying anything contradicting my present disposition as
contained in this letter.
political opponents, but you remain the father of all.
“My wife sends her love and greetings.
“With high regards.
Signed
Ayo Fayose.
Obasanjo’s reply dated July 18, 2012
“Dear Ayo,
“I write
to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated June 26, 2012 pleading
with me to forgive you, as you put it, for your action and inaction
which have caused me embarrassment in the public.
“As for
the embarrassment and personal insult to me, forgiveness is divine and I
will not withhold forgiveness since I believe that God will not
withhold forgiveness for my inadequacies.
“However,
for me, the personal aspect can be handled by me but the party aspect
has to be handled at the local, state and national levels of the Party.
“I wish you all the best and God’s blessing.”
Signed
Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to the associate of Obasanjo who
spoke with Saturday Tribune, it was based on Obasanjo’s intervention
that other stakeholders of the party rallied round Fayose to facilitate
his readimission into the party even amid stiff opposition from leaders
of the PDP in Ekiti State.
“One wonders why the same Fayose who wrote
that letter is now against the president settling his differences with
Obasanjo given the background that he (Fayose) wrote that letter of
apology barely two years ago,” the source said.
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