On January 23, 2018, former president Obasanjo published an over 3,000 word statement calling on Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019.

Obasanjo also unveiled his Coalition for Nigeria movement in his essay.

On February 1, 2018, Obasanjo said his letter to Buhari was not borne out of malice or bad belle.

Unrestricted access

However, Tinubu who was having a stopover in Owerri, the Imo State capital en route the Alex Ekwueme funeral in Anambra, told journalists that Obasanjo was simply playing to the gallery with his essay because he has unfettered access to the president.

“Obasanjo wrote it about the government. It is a very good awareness on his part and they are both from the same background.

"I believe that is the doctrine  of military officers (retired) because he has unrestricted access to the president, either through the Council of State or by any other means that he need to see the current president privately and he was his junior in the army.

“So I think Obasanjo was playing politics with his public letter. That’s all I see. He could have used other means. He met him in the AU too. He has a way of discussing privately but the letter is being responded to by the government”, Tinubu was quoted as saying by The Nation.

Coalition for Nigeria

Quizzed on his take of Obasanjo’s coalitionwhose members have converged on three Nigerian cities since that press statement, Tinubu said now is not the time to talk about Baba Iyabo’s organisation.

“The appropriate time is not now for response on the Coalition Movement but we are in a democracy, we are in a country that is a signatory to the Charter of the United Nations which guarantees free movement, free association and free speech”, Tinubu said.