A few months after he publicly quit his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former President Olusegun Obasanjo declared yesterday that he remained a “party-less” Nigerian and would continue to carry the toga of a statesman.

Obasanjo, who spoke when he received the Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, at his Abeokuta Hilltop residence insisted that though he had ceased to play partisan politics. He however pledged his continued support for any Nigerian politician who has integrity, good leadership traits and deep love for the country.

The former President, who dramatically tore up his PDP membership card few weeks before the last general elections said, “everybody is welcome. But they must be with good leadership traits, with genuine intention to improve the country.”

Obasanjo told his audience, “We should understand first that no party makes a person, but a person makes a party. It is who you are that you bring into the party. Though for now I remain a party-less Nigerian, I will continue to welcome any Nigerian with good leadership qualities.”

“It does not matter which party you belong to, either, PDP, APC, Labour, APGA, any party at all, as long as you are committed, sincere and a purposeful leader, I am ready for you. And that is what our brother is doing. I pray that this country will never be short of this type of people,” Obasanjo said.

Excerpts from – The Guardian