President Goodluck Jonathan, who last week
bragged that he was a better leader than
Olusegun Obasanjo and every Nigerian leader
since independence, today sent a powerful
delegation to the former president to plead support
for his re-election bid.
Obasanjo had described Jonathan’s presidency as
below “average,” and that the “head” [of the
government] was “rotten.”

His delegation to Obasanjo’s Hilltop mansion in
Abeokuta today included governors Liyel Imoke of
Cross River State, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom,
Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Babangida Aliyu of Niger and
Isah Yuguda of Bauchi State.
When they emerged from a closed door meeting,
Obasanjo told the media that they had only discussed
the insecurity in the country.
However, SaharaReporters learnt that the governors,
who were protégés of Obasanjo during his tenure,
had been asked to visit the former president to beg
the former leader to tone down his opposition to Mr.
Jonathan.
Following Obasanjo’s hard-hitting “Before It Is Too
Late” letter to Mr. Jonathan last December, the
former leader has in the past few months stepped up
his attacks, underlining the corrupt nature of Mr.
Jonathan's regime.
In turn, President Jonathan's attack dogs tried to
attack Obasanjo frontally, but today’s delegation to
the retired General suggests a strategy is at work.
In “Before It Is Too Late,” Obasanjo warned had
Jonathan to learn the lessons of History and avoid
taking Nigerians for granted.
“Move away from culture of denials, cover-ups
and proxies and deal honesty, sincerely and
transparently with Nigerians to regain their trust and
confidence,” he advised. “Nigerians are no fools,
they can see, they can hear, they can talk among
themselves, they can think, they can compare and
they can act in the interest of their country and
in their own self-interest. They keenly watch all
actions and deeds that are associated with you
if they cannot believe your words. I know you
have the power to save PDP and the country. I
beg you to have the courage and the will with
patriotism to use the power for the good of the
country. Please uphold some form of national core
values. I will appeal to all Nigerians particularly all
members of PDP to respect and dignify the
Office of the President. We must all know that
individuals will come and go but the Office will
remain.”
That advice was not heeded, but with the economy in
trouble and the 2015 elections fast approaching, Mr.
Jonathan seems to have decided to swallow his pride
and court his political benefactor.
Another factor in the equation is a revelation by
SaharaReporters last week that Obasanjo will shortly
publish a three-volume autobiography that
specifically details Jonathan's incompetence and
complicity in corrupt activities. That has reportedly
sent further jitters into the presidency, culminating in
the decision to send a delegation of governors known
to be close to Obasanjo to beg him.
Sources say of the meeting that Obasanjo did not
express interest in a truce, reportedly telling his
inner caucus that it is too late to mend fences with
Jonathan. Obasanjo has probably concluded that he
cannot now support Jonathan publicly without losing
face at home and abroad.
One of the governors who attended the meeting
today said they didn't get any commitment from the
former Obasanjo. "Baba didn't say much after we
presented our case for reconciliation. He referred us
to the letter he sent to President Jonathan and said
he stands by every word in that letter."
Our source said Obasanjo did not turn down the
fence-mending approach because he said he did the
same with his former arch-enemy, Abubakar Atiku
when two of his protégés, Professor Babalola
Aborisade and Otunba Oyewole Fasawe intervened
on the former Vice-President’s behalf of Atiku and
asked for a meeting.