2015: Jonathan Mulls Visiting Obasanjo Barring all unforeseen circumstances, President Goodluck Jonathan would soon visit his estranged political godfather and former President Olusegun Obasanjo to seek his support for his second term bid, LEADERSHIP Sunday can now report. Senate President David Mark and a few chieftains of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had recently visited Obasanjo in his Abeokuta hilltop mansion, where they lobbied him to forgive Jonathan and support his second term bid. The visit came at a time when the national leader of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, also paid the former president a visit, where he told newsmen that he was visiting the former chairman of PDP board of trustees to seek his views on his “boys” seeking presidential ticket on the platform of APC. Although the details of what Obasanjo told Mark remained unknown, a presidency source disclosed that the visit of Tinubu to Obasanjo had unsettled President Jonathan and few of his close allies who are considering the idea of his visit to Abeokuta. Our source, a top official of the presidency, explained that aside from Tinubu’s factor, there are other reasons why such a proposed visit is imperative, and “the visit may come up before President Goodluck Jonathan officially declares his intention to seek the second term mandate”. “Let me tell you that the visit of Bola Tinubu to former President Obasanjo did not go down well with some people close to President Goodluck Jonathan and the president himself. We all know who Tinubu is and the havoc he has caused the party in the southwest, and how he had humiliated Obasanjo while he was in office. The same man is now seeking his support for his party at the expense of the PDP, the party that made him the president and which he has helped to become bigger. “Not only that, Obasanjo was former chairman of the board of trustees of the PDP, and we all know he cannot dump the party for the opposition APC. Also, as we are approaching next year’s general elections, a lot of consultations are on- going. Although the party has endorsed President Jonathan as the candidate, all other things being equal, the visit may come up before President Goodluck Jonathan officially declares his intention to seek the second term mandate.” The source named people like the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih; Senator Andy Uba, and Senate President Mark as the link between the State House and Abeokuta, home of the former President Obasanjo. Corroborating our source, an influential BoT member of the PDP, also said the party leadership is in support of such a visit and may also follow up the presidential visit. “We are all considering going to see Baba Obasanjo. He is our leader any day. We are all happy with the efforts being made by our chairman to ensure that those who are aggrieved with the party are brought back to the party, Obasanjo inclusive. It is true, he is not happy with some developments that have kept him away from the party; his letter to President Jonathan and the reply he received, coupled with the problems of the PDP in Ogun State.” --LEADERSHIP NEWS
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 07:36:17 +0000
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