There are strong indications that former
President Olusegun Obasanjo may have warned
the All Progressives Congress not to field
former Vice-President Abubakar Atiku as its
flagbearer in the 2015 elections.
Obasanjo, during a recent visit by the APC
national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to his
residence in Abeokuta, was said to have warned
the opposition party against fielding an
“unclean vessel” as its presidential candidate in
2015.
An impeccable source, who was at the meeting
but did not want his name mentioned, told
Saturday PUNCH that 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.”
“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 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.”
Senate President David Mark and Tinubu had
last Friday held separate closed-door meetings
with Obasanjo. Both Mark and the former
Lagos State governor said the issues discussed
at the meetings held at the Obasanjo’s Hilltop
residence in Abeokuta centred on the state of
the nation.
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.”
Mark had also described Obasanjo as the
father of the nation with a wealth of
experience.
The Senate President had told journalists after
the meeting that he came with his team,
including Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel
Uduaghan; the Peoples Democratic Party
Women Leader, Mrs. Josephine Anenih; and
Senator Polycarp Nwite, among others to
discuss with the former President and raise
some basic issues that affected both the party
and the nation.
He said, “We discussed issues that will move
Nigeria forward because Chief Obasanjo’s love
for Nigeria is unquantifiable. So, we had a
good discussion with him.”
Saturday PUNCH also learnt that the former
president would support APC in its bid to win
next year’s presidential election.
Party sources said Obasanjo did not need to
defect to the opposition party before he could
support it to win the poll.
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai
Muhammed, told one of our correspondents
on telephone on Thursday that the recent visit
to Obasanjo by Tinubu was part of efforts to
ensure that the opposition party got the
former President’s support ahead of the poll.
Though the APC spokesperson 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.
The APC leaders then sought Obasanjo’s
support for the party’s bid to win the
forthcoming elections.
Among Obasanjo’s visitors during the
December 2013 visit were Tinubu, former APC
Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande;
former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu
Buhari; former Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Aminu Masari; former Borno
State Governor, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff;
Senator Osita Isunazor; and Senator Bukola
Saraki.
Tinubu, who hailed Obasanjo’s contributions to
nation-building, had lamented that the country
was divided more than ever.
Tinubu had added that the APC had resolved to
rescue Nigeria and appealed to the former
President to lead the mission.
He had said, “You have come out of tribulation
and held the highest position in this country.
We are here because of your courage. Nobody
can say he has information more than you. You
have surmounted a number of crises. Nigeria
is divided more than before; to realise stable
Nigeria, we want to encourage you to continue
to speak the truth. We are resolved and
determined to rescue Nigeria. We want you as
navigator.”
But the Peoples Democratic Party, which
apparently sensed that the APC might finally
get Obasanjo’s full support, on Wednesday,
made entreaties to beg the former President.
Obasanjo, a former Chairman of the party’s
Board of Trustees, had refused to identify with
the party following series of disagreements he
had with President Goodluck Jonathan and the
running of the party.
The former President even as the chairman of
BoT of the party shunned the meetings of the
various organs of the party, including its
National Executive Committee.
But speaking while receiving former Ogun State
Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, who defected
from the Labour Party to the PDP in Abuja on
Wednesday, the National Chairman of the
party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’Azu, begged Obasanjo
to return to the PDP.
Mu’azu, who was reacting to an earlier apology
offered by Daniel, said every member of the
party must beg the former President for
forgiveness.
He described Obasanjo as a pragmatic leader,
who he said hailed from a zone he claimed had
produced the best educated people in the
country.
Mu’azu said, “I want to join former Ogun State
governor, I want to join my dear elder brother
and indeed all the teeming members here to
very sincerely apologise to our leader, to our
baba, my baba, General, President, Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo to forgive us.
“We cannot continue. I know he has been very
prayerful. In the Villa, I know he used to pray
every morning. Very early, 5:30 to 6am, he is
praying.
“And I know he keeps on praying all the time.
As we say in our Lord’s Prayer: ‘Forgive us our
sins, as we forgive those who trespass against
us’; Baba, you have to forgive us. I beg you in
the name of the Almighty God, so that you too
can be forgiven. We are your children. We are
making mistakes, we have made mistakes, we
have apologised.
“We will not agree even if you want to throw
the baby away with the bath water, the baby
will not go without you.
“So, please baba, we apologise. Come and lead
us. Even the President (Goodluck Jonathan) is
waiting for you. Come and lead us. You are our
leader, we appreciate you, we thank you for
your leadership.”




source: http://www.punchng.com/news/dont-field-atiku-obasanjo-warns-apc/

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