DISCOMFORTING news for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-
election bid broke out from former President Olusegun
Obasanjo’s Hilltop Mansion, Abeokuta, yesterday evening,
indicating that the outcome of the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, governors who had gone there to plead for the
President’s support was initially played down.
We can authoritatively disclose today that Obasanjo flatly
refused to support Jonathan although Obasanjo had publicly
said that he only explained to the governors his position on
national issues.
But we gathered
that it was more
than that as he
maintained his
stand against
Jonathan’s style of
administration
which didn’t deserve
his support.
This was even as
Jonathan and the
son of the late
former Head of
State, Mohammed
Abacha met behind
closed doors at the
Presidential Villa
yesterday,
apparently to
strategise on how to
secure victory for him and the party in Kano and other
States..
The PDP is presenting the junior Abacha, who was freed
from corruption and theft charges by the Federal
Government last June, as its governorship candidate for
Kano, apparently based on his assumed influence and
popularity to dislodge the All Progressives Congress, APC,
candidate backed by out-going Governor Rabiu Musa
Kwankwaso.
However, the five governors; Mallam Isa Yuguda of Bauchi,
Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Liyel Imoke
(Cross River) and Godswill Akpabio- (Akwa Ibom) had
approached Obasanjo on behalf of Jonathan and the PDP
and pleading with him to not only tone down his verbal
attacks on the president and his administration but back him
in the forthcoming election.
The governors, who spent at least three hours discussing
with Obasanjo, however were said to have left his mansion
without any strong promise from the former president, who
sounded rather defiant, claiming that it was clear to all
Nigerians that Nigerian under Jonathan was in a bad shape.
Obasanjo was, however, said to have given his visitors some
words of consolation, saying, ‘the situation in Nigeria today
is bad but is not beyond redemption’. “That means that
something can still be done to change it, if there is courage
and determination to do so.”
A source close to the Abeokuta meeting told Saturday
Vanguard that Obasanjo accepted to receive the five
governors because of his respect for them as individuals
and politicians who rode to national limelight through his
instrumentality and not because of Jonathan or PDP. The
source told our correspondent on Friday that although
Obasanjo was disappointed by the action of most of the
governors who visited him, he did not want to vent his anger
and disappointment by turning down their request to visit
him.
The source, who is close to Obasanjo said: “But the truth of
the matter is that ‘Baba’ did not give them any promise of
word of comfort throughout their stay in Abeokuta because
he is very upset with most of them, who have betrayed him
in many ways since he helped them to clinch power in 2007.
“He told them the truth as it is that Jonathan’s leadership
had really hurt the image of Nigeria at home and abroad
and that they themselves should help him to change course
so as to help Nigeria and Nigerians out the doldrums.
“Obasanjo made it clear to the visitors that he was not just
speaking out for the sake of bringing Jonathan or his
government down but to draw his attention to the urgent
need to rise up and fight the monsters of insecurity and
monumental corruption that are fast eating away the fabric
of the nationhood and making Nigeria a mockery before the
international community.
Asked if Obasanjo had tabled any demand as a condition for
backing Jonathan in next year’s presidential poll, the source
hinted that the former head of state did not give any
condition and was not keen on any since he was not ready
to back down on his position.
“Look, let me tell you the truth; Baba stands on his position
concerning Jonathan and his administration and he is not
ready to change whatever he had said or written no matter
who comes to him or not.
“I can tell you that if the mission of the five governors was
successful, one of them, who likes to talk at every event,
would have been the first to speak. What happened was
more of a mission not accomplished to say the truth,” the
source said.
A source close to the Presidency said that the visit by the five
governors to Obasanjo might have been sanctioned by the
Villa as a means of staving off lingering criticism of President
Jonathan by Obasanjo ahead of the crucial presidential poll
fixed for the first quarter of next year.
Obasanjo had last month described Jonathan’s performance
so far as ‘below average,’ a rating that received an instant
bashing from Jonathan’s aides, who descended heavily on
the former leader, calling him names.
Meanwhile, although the details of the discussions between
Jonathan and Mohammed Abacha were not made public,
Abacha told State House correspondents shortly after
emerging from the parley with the president that he was
confident the PDP would ‘recover Kano’ from the APC.
According to him, Kano was stolen from PDP and the party is
on its way to recovering the stolen ticket. Abacha was also
optimistic he would emerge the party’s gubernatorial flag
bearer,saying, “We are hopeful; I wouldn’t want to say too
much. I said it before that it was a PDP state; it was a PDP
ticket. It was taken or converted or even stolen; whatever
you want to call it, so be it. The chances of the PDP are still
bright.’’
Speculations had been rife that the Presidency deliberately
withdrew the charges bordering on the alleged stealing of
N446 billion preferred against the aspirant last June in order
to pave the way for him to contest the Kano governorship
election.
The government through the Attorney General of the
Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, had justified the nolle
proseque (don’t prosecute or discontinue prosecution)
entered in favour of Abacha, claiming that it was done in the
overall interest of the country and not for pecuniary or
political reasons.

The main grouse of obj against gej is buruji kashamu. Obj does not want kashamu as the patron of pdp or to be his leader in the south west pdp. And gej has flatly refused to remove kashamu. All the talk about economy and corruption are just mere smoke screens. Gej himself is not even looking towards obj for any assistance ,as he has decided to keep faith with anti obj boys in the pdp and they have been getting the job done .

Music to my ears!!

Moh'd Abacha should STFU. I don't blame him but the person who is giving him the backing.