FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday resigned his position as Chairman Board of Trustees of his party, Peoples Democratic Party.
The former president made the resignation public in a statement saying that he has “formally” notified the national chairman of the party of his decision.
It is not clear if the resignation by Mr. Obasanjo, who is a senior representative of the international anti-corruption group, Transparency International, has any bearing on the brewing scandal of President Jonathan’s recent admission of soliciting and receiving the help of an Italian construction firm to build a church in his village of Otuoke, in Bayelsa State.
The church, a 2,500-seater building, was built by Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Limited and it was dedicated recently in the presence of Mr. Jonathan and the first-lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, among other public officials and friends of the president.
“I have formally sent in my letter of resignation as the Chairman of BOT of PDP to the National Chairman of the party as prescribed in the party’s constitution,’’ Mr. Obasanjo said in his Tuesday statement, adding that he had “formally requested the President to allow my bowing out and to issue a short statement to that effect.”
‘‘By relieving myself of the responsibility for chairmanship of BOT of PDP, I will have a bit more time to devote to the international demand on me.’’
He further said that the step would give him time ‘‘to give some attention to mentoring across the board nationally and internationally in those areas that I have acquired some experience, expertise and in which I have something to share’’.
Obasanjo said his exit would afford him more time to develop ‘my Presidential Library and to mobilising and encouraging investment in Nigeria and Africa.’
He noted that before the last general elections, he believed that if PDP produced the President, it would be time for him to reduce his partisan political activities.
Obasanjo recalled that he was actively involved in bringing forth ‘my successor president from PDP in 2007.
`‘In 2011, I was in the vanguard of working for PDP to produce a president for Nigeria. God answered our prayer.