As the cold war between President Goodluck Jonathan and his benefactor, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, rages, some of Obasanjo’s loyalists who are at the receiving end have chosen to quit the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

But the former president has vowed to remain in the party and fight to the finish.

The relationship between the two leaders of the party has been everything but cordial despite the public show of friendship and mutual trust. Those who know better have read the handwriting on the wall, which aims at dismantling Obasanjo’s political structure for daring to ask Jonathan to quit the presidency come 2015 as he promised two years ago.

Before Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State reminded President Jonathan of the one-term pact he struck with the PDP chieftains before he was endorsed for the 2011 presidential race, Obasanjo, LEADERSHIP Sunday learnt, had asked the president to suspend the second term bid. The president was said to have replied, “Sir, I have never thought of 2015.”

LEADERSHIP Sunday checks revealed that Obasanjo’s loyalists recently met with him to sound him out on their intention to quit the PDP for another political party as “it is becoming evident that the party wants to adopt President Jonathan as its presidential candidate for 2015”.

The former president was said to have told them they would not be intimidated out of the party.
“We are going nowhere, nobody would kick us out of our party,’’ he reportedly said. “We will fight back. ”

To ensure that Jonathan does not win a second term ticket, it was learnt, the former president has engaged a former ambassador from the north-east geopolitical zone as one of his foot soldiers in the north, while the governors of Niger, Jigawa, Sokoto, Bauchi and two others are working behind the scenes to actualise a northern president come 2015.

Since that time, according to our checks, the president had ambushed his godfather severally, looking for ways of forcing him to endorse his candidacy. As fate would have it, the court ruling that voided the election of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the national secretary of the party became a weapon as he was asked to go in obedience to the court verdict, and his deputy was sworn.

However, President Jonathan made a u-turn on his rift with Obasanjo when he agreed to reach out to the former president at a meeting with some former national chairmen of the party led by the incumbent, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, at the presidential villa.

“The party elders and the president spoke at length on the ways to resolve the crisis in the party. But one of the decisions reached was the need for Jonathan to mend fences with Obasanjo. They believed that once the two leaders are together, the tension in the party will be reduced to the barest minimum,” a PDP leader who attended the meeting said.

The meeting also advised Jonathan to attend a civic reception organised in honour of Obasanjo by the south-west PDP in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on his way to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, for an extraordinary session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government.

The meeting also prevailed on him to withdraw support for Chief Tony Anenih’s bid for Board of Trustees (BoT) chairmanship. It was thought that this would persuade Obasanjo to reconcile with the president. Those that were at the reception included the former PDP national vice-chairman (south-west), Mr. Segun Oni, Oyinlola, Chief Bode George, Chief Dapo Sarumi, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Chief Bode Olajumoke, and Otunba Oyewole Fashawe. Others were Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, Chief Yekeen Adeojo, Chief Lekan Balogun, Chief Richard Akinjide, Chief Tunji Olurin, and Chief Joju Fadairo.

But the president never showed up. Instead it was Tukur that attended, saying that he represented the president. That was when Obasanjo told him that he would never stop criticising the president despite the fact that he held him in high esteem as president, a source said.

However, both Jonathan and Obasanjo had a private meeting in London after the launch of Obasanjo’s foundation. LEADERSHIP Sunday learnt that Jonathan solicited Obasanjo’s support for his second term bid to enable him continue with his transformation agenda. Obasanjo reportedly told him point blank to bury the thought, noting that it would impugn on his integrity as a former military head of state and two-term civilian president.

qualified: What does he have against GEJ?
Why is most of them clamouring for a Northen candidate? I didnt read they wan him out cos of non-performance but they need a Northern candidate. SE and SS cant stay for complete 2 terms? Seriously, i am sick wit all these regional politics.
Dont worry sir, god-fathers dont make kings any more but GOD the Father does!

pro01: Isn't it ironic that this same man who was desperately and unconstitutionally seeking a third (and perhaps life) tenure in office now has the effrontery to ask another president not to seek a CONSTITUTIONAL second term?

alaoeri:
Yeah its constitutional for GEJ to contest, lets him try his luck & test his popularity but why is he hunting Amaechi because what makes it constitutional for GEJ also makes its constitutional for Amaechi.

Billyonaire: Nigerians clamoured for the steering of Nigerians Politics to be taken away from the Old Generation, and GEJ has done that. It is very unbecoming for OBJ to, at his terrible old age, seek to 'anoint' someone for Nigerians. He has no place in Nigeria's future and we need new sets of leaders with new mindsets. GEJ has put structures on ground for the take-off of Nigeria and he has been within the confine of the laws. 2nd Term re-election is within the confine of all laws. GEJ has taken over PDP structures and machinery and he GEJ and few 'performing' governors will have automatic consensus PDP ticket without primaries. Full Stop!

Gamji007:

If GEJ had performed well,do you think he will have so many against him? Only sycophants and short sighted loyalist would support GEJ!

Well, let them all crush themselves. I believe the end is near for the enemies of Nigeria!

darealez: As the cold war between President Goodluck Jonathan and his benefactor, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, rages, some of Obasanjo’s loyalists who are at the receiving end have chosen to quit the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But the former president has vowed to remain in the party and fight to the finish. The relationship between the two leaders of the party has been everything but cordial despite the public show of friendship and mutual trust. Those who know better have read the handwriting on the wall, which aims at dismantling Obasanjo’s political structure for daring to ask Jonathan to quit the presidency come 2015 as he promised two years ago. Before Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State reminded President Jonathan of the one-term pact he struck with the PDP chieftains before he was endorsed for the 2011 presidential race, Obasanjo, LEADERSHIP Sunday learnt, had asked the president to suspend the second term bid. The president was said to have replied, “Sir, I have never thought of 2015.” LEADERSHIP Sunday checks revealed that Obasanjo’s loyalists recently met with him to sound him out on their intention to quit the PDP for another political party as “it is becoming evident that the party wants to adopt President Jonathan as its presidential candidate for 2015”. The former president was said to have told them they would not be intimidated out of the party. “We are going nowhere, nobody would kick us out of our party,’’ he reportedly said. “We will fight back. ” To ensure that Jonathan does not win a second term ticket, it was learnt, the former president has engaged a former ambassador from the north-east geopolitical zone as one of his foot soldiers in the north, while the governors of Niger, Jigawa, Sokoto, Bauchi and two others are working behind the scenes to actualise a northern president come 2015. Since that time, according to our checks, the president had ambushed his godfather severally, looking for ways of forcing him to endorse his candidacy. As fate would have it, the court ruling that voided the election of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the national secretary of the party became a weapon as he was asked to go in obedience to the court verdict, and his deputy was sworn. However, President Jonathan made a u-turn on his rift with Obasanjo when he agreed to reach out to the former president at a meeting with some former national chairmen of the party led by the incumbent, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, at the presidential villa. “The party elders and the president spoke at length on the ways to resolve the crisis in the party. But one of the decisions reached was the need for Jonathan to mend fences with Obasanjo. They believed that once the two leaders are together, the tension in the party will be reduced to the barest minimum,” a PDP leader who attended the meeting said. The meeting also advised Jonathan to attend a civic reception organised in honour of Obasanjo by the south-west PDP in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on his way to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, for an extraordinary session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government. The meeting also prevailed on him to withdraw support for Chief Tony Anenih’s bid for Board of Trustees (BoT) chairmanship. It was thought that this would persuade Obasanjo to reconcile with the president. Those that were at the reception included the former PDP national vice-chairman (south-west), Mr. Segun Oni, Oyinlola, Chief Bode George, Chief Dapo Sarumi, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Chief Bode Olajumoke, and Otunba Oyewole Fashawe. Others were Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, Chief Yekeen Adeojo, Chief Lekan Balogun, Chief Richard Akinjide, Chief Tunji Olurin, and Chief Joju Fadairo. But the president never showed up. Instead it was Tukur that attended, saying that he represented the president. That was when Obasanjo told him that he would never stop criticising the president despite the fact that he held him in high esteem as president, a source said. However, both Jonathan and Obasanjo had a private meeting in London after the launch of Obasanjo’s foundation. LEADERSHIP Sunday learnt that Jonathan solicited Obasanjo’s support for his second term bid to enable him continue with his transformation agenda. Obasanjo reportedly told him point blank to bury the thought, noting that it would impugn on his integrity as a former military head of state and two-term civilian president.
leadership.ng/nga/articles/49641/2013/03/10/2015_i_will_fight_ back_obasanjo_tells_jonathan.html

SlyIg:

Take note pls, those that are against Goodluck are doing it cos they want to be in his position but not because they want to perform better than him.
If Goodluck has performed all these works upon the distractions from the boko haram and sponsors, how much more if he was working under a comfortable environ.

SlyIg:

Take note pls, those that are against Goodluck are doing it cos they want to be in his position but not because they want to perform better than him.
If Goodluck has performed all these works upon the distractions from the boko haram and sponsors, how much more if he was working under a comfortable environ.

pro01:

Amaechi should go and "test his popularity" on the platform of another party. Inordinately aspiring to scheme his way to the PDP presidential ticket, in spite of the existence of an incumbent, is an act of insolence that deserves the harshest response from the incumbent . Democracy involves options, and thankfully, options (alternative political parties) are too numerous to mention. Let him take his ambition to another party. Why is this so hard?

SlyIg:

Take note pls, those that are against Goodluck are doing it cos they want to be in his position but not because they want to perform better than him.
If Goodluck has performed all these works upon the distractions from the boko haram and sponsors, how much more if he was working under a comfortable environ.

Obiagelli:
I guess anenih is part of the new generation, do you think about your comments before posting them

Sunny_bobo: Is it the same Obasanjo that can not deliver his local ward to PDP?

Billyonaire: Nigerians clamoured for the steering of Nigerians Politics to be taken away from the Old Generation, and GEJ has done that. It is very unbecoming for OBJ to, at his terrible old age, seek to 'anoint' someone for Nigerians. He has no place in Nigeria's future and we need new sets of leaders with new mindsets. GEJ has put structures on ground for the take-off of Nigeria and he has been within the confine of the laws. 2nd Term re-election is within the confine of all laws. GEJ has taken over PDP structures and machinery and he GEJ and few 'performing' governors will have automatic consensus PDP ticket without primaries. Full Stop!

Obiagelli:
The same gej that ran away from presidential debate, I hope he has started preparation for 2015 debate

Gamji007:
On the contrary, if GEJ had shown a little competence and commitment towards the masses, less people will have the gots to challenge him. His unpopularity crosses from the elite to the masses, and that is pure evidence of failure.

Sunny_bobo:

At least he delivered his ward, local government, state and region to the PDP. Last time I checked, OBJ was the man who ran away from a presidential debate against Olu Falae in 1999

Gamji007:

Is this what you call democracy?
You just confirmed this regime to be an autoritarian regime.

qualified: What does he have against GEJ?
Why is most of them clamouring for a Northen candidate? I didnt read they wan him out cos of non-performance but they need a Northern candidate. SE and SS cant stay for complete 2 terms? Seriously, i am sick wit all these regional politics.
Dont worry sir, god-fathers dont make kings any more but GOD the Father does!