Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo does not know the meaning of democracy.

Obasanjo was Nigeria’s president when Tinubu governed Lagos between 1999 and 2007.

The disagreement between both men during that period was known but they reconciled publicly in the buildup to the 2015 election.

Speaking on Sunday at the ruling party’s national elective convention at Eagle Square, Abuja, Tinubu said Obasanjo had no democratic credentials to ask Buhari not to run.

“If anybody must blame you at all; it’s over-democratisation. Those who asked me not to follow and support a General should better look at their house; it has been deserted; it is a house of frustration and migration to other parties,” he said.

“I remember one Uncle backdoor, who has been a General himself and who has been elected President; I call him election rigger.

“Let us compare the two of you. The man had the temerity to write a letter, not to the post office. We said, ‘no; we are not using the post office like that anymore, we are now using email. Your letter is not delivered, you are analogue’.

“If he had the temerity to say Buhari must not run again, in which party? Thank God he is not a member of our party, we hold our future in our hands. What is your business, busybody? Unfortunately, he has torn the card of his previous party, his own legacy. So, he has none anymore.

“Now we have a General that they asked me not to follow. They said if you call yourself a democrat, don’t follow this man. I said I am not mad enough to listen to your lies. Thank you Muhammadu Buhari for the job you are doing up till today.

“You have not set half of the records of this General who is not a democrat. He does not know the meaning of democracy. You have not tried to dismantle the national assembly and impeach or remove a governor with six out of 38 members. You have not done criminal assault on democracy and they are writing letters.”

He said the APC showed internal democracy in its change of leadership.

The former governor said contrary to the assertion of naysayers, the party did not “explode” at the convention.

He said Adams Oshiomhole, new chairman of the party, is a true refelection of the saying: “No matter how short a man is, he will see the sky.”