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A senior American journalist has launched s scathing attack on immediate past mayor of New York city, Michael Bloomberg, drawing a parallel between him and former president Olusegun Obasanjo in terms of desperation for power.
Award winning Connor Sheets, a senior reporter for the International Business Times (IBT), has been in Nigeria recently and has written for a couple of Nigerian newspapers, so he is familiar with the political scene of the country. In a chat with News Express some he drew a link between Bloomberg’s third term pursuit and Obasanjo’s desperation for an unconstitutional third term in office while he was president.
“(I) kind of (see a parallel between both of them twisting the law in search of a third term),” Sheet said.”
Like in the case of Obasango’s alleged third term bid where he was said to have spent mind-bugling amounts of money in trying to bribe his way into a third term in office, Sheet said Bloomberg spent millions to convince voters to accept his third term agenda even after the New York City council voted no it.
According to Sheets, “Bloomberg was not eligible to run again. He had to trick his way into having a third term, which was illegal until he paid millions to voters to approve a third term for himself, which will not be available to future mayors who have to stick to the usual two terms.”
While Bloonberg got his third term wish, unlike Obasanjo, Sheet was quick to add that Bloomberg didn’t break any laws to achieve a third term. “He (Bloomberg) was just being obnoxious and aggressive,” Sheets stated.
Bloomberg has been admired and praised by some for spending much of his personal cash to develop New York city (one of the world's famous cities), but Sheets sees him as a villain whose last term in office should justifiably draw condemnation.
Along this line, he recently wrote an article in the IBT titled ‘Good Riddance To Mayor Bloomberg: 10 Reasons To Be Glad He’s Done in 2014.’ Among the allegations leveled against the retired mayor in the article, Sheets cited the third term tenure Bloomberg pursued (and won by allegedly buying his way) as unconventional and evidence of his inordinate lust for power. He wrote:
“One of Bloomberg’s controversial moves was his decision to find a legal way to circumvent standing practice and run for a third mayoral term. He won that battle with the help of tens of millions dollars of his massive fortune, but he lost the hearts and minds of much of the city in the process.”
Bloomberg has since been succeeded by Bill de Blassio as mayor of New York city.
•Photo shows ex-New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg.