Former
President Olusegun Obasanjo may have advised the All Progressives Congress (
APC) not to field his former subordinate, former Vice-president Abubakar Atiku
as its flagbearer in the 2015 General Elections.
This
is one of the discussion from the visit of the national leader of APC, Asiwaju
Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the private residence of the former president. It was said
Baba had warned the opposition party against fielding an “unclean vessel” as
its presidential candidate in 2015.
According
to an impeccable source, who was at the meeting said last week’s visit by
Tinubu to Obasanjo was meant to remind the former President of the need to
support the APC to realise its ambition of winning next year’s presidential
election.
The
source said, “Chief Obasanjo appreciated Tinubu’s visit to his home, but
specifically warned the APC to shut its door against “unclean vessel,” in
apparent reference to Atiku
“Chief
Obasanjo reiterated his refusal to join the APC when Tinubu visited him in his
Abeokuta residence, but warned the party to beware of Atiku.
“The
former President appreciated the move by the APC to find out what he knew about
two of the APC aspirants seeking the party’s presidential ticket. He was happy
that the party consulted him over whom to pick as its presidential candidate.
The former President gave detailed information on the APC presidential
aspirants to Tinubu.”
But
in a swift reaction, Atiku’s media aide, Garba Shehu, said he was not aware of
such comments by Obasanjo against the former vice-president.
Shehu,
who said that Atiku had consulted relevant stakeholders on his plan to become
Nigeria’s president next year, said, “You can quote me; we are not in any way
aware of such comment. What I can say is that the former vice-president has
written a letter to his former boss, respectfully informing him of his wish to
bid for the APC ticket.” He also said that Atiku had sent similar letters to
other Nigerians.
“These
letters, which were personally signed, had gone to thousands of other
Nigerians, including politicians, traditional and religious leaders as well as
friendly-diplomatic missions.”
Tinubu
had told journalists that he had discussion with Obasanjo on “some of his
former boys” who would vie for elective positions in the 2015 general
elections, especially the Presidency.
He
had said, “We are here to pay homage to our former President and discuss with
him because he has a number of influences in the political sphere.
“We
need to talk to find out his thinking about Nigeria and the future. We need to
seek his observation on some of his former boys who are running for Presidency
in our party.”
There
are underground moves by the former president would support APC in its bid to
win next year’s presidential election. It was gathered that Obasanjo did not
need to defect to the opposition party before he could support it to win the
poll.
Though
the APC spokesperson, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said that he was not fully privy to
the topic of discussion between Obasanjo and Tinubu, he said that if the party
leader had gone to visit the former President, it was about how the former
president could help the opposition party win in the 2015 general elections.
He
said, “I am not fully aware of what they (Obasanjo and Tinubu) discussed. But
of course, did you expect they would discuss church matters? Clearly if he went
to visit Obasanjo, it had to be about politics and the party. What else would
you expect them to talk about?
“That
would not be the first time the party chieftains would meet with the former
President. There is no secret about it. We want the party to win in next year’s
elections. That is it.”
When
asked whether the former President might defect to the APC to help the party
achieve its goal, Mohammed said, “Obasanjo does not need to defect to the APC
before he could help the party.
“The
former President needs not declare openly or defect to our party before he can
help us. Someone went to visit him, he was chased out; Asiwaju Tinubu went to
visit him and he was entertained. What are you talking about? What does that
tell you?”
Obasanjo had in 2013 embraced the APC
when some of the party’s national leaders and governors elected on its platform
visited him in Abeokuta.
Culled from
the herald
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