Obasanjo hosts Jonathan, 4 Northern Governors

Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta

Nigeria’s former leader, Olusegun Obasanjo hosted, separately President Goodluck Jonathan and four northern governors at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital today.

Although Jonathan described his meeting with Obasanjo as a ‘son visiting his father’, political observers believed the meeting was to forge some reconciliation in the PDP, as Obasanjo also met minutes later, the four northern governors who have vowed never to back Jonathan’s second term ambition in 2015.

All the meetings were held behind closed doors.Obasnjo’s meeting with the governors lasted for an hour, while Jonathan spent two hours with him.

The four governors are Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Dr. Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State.

Nyako on behalf of others also repeated Jonathan’s line, that they had come to “greet Obasnjo as a father and leader in the party.

According to Nyako:”we have come to met with the most accomplished Nigerian ever on a very important matter”.

All the governors left Obasanjo’s home at exactly 2:50pm.

After another visit to the home of Reuben Abati, the Presidential adviser on media, whose mother was buried Friday, President Jonathan debunked speculations that he was fighting with Obasanjo.

Obasanjo, Jonathan said, is his father.

President Jonathan arrived the Asero Estate of Abati at exactly 1:37pm.

“Here I am in Abeokuta to commiserate with my brother,Abati.He is a family member because all of us are family at the State House.I was supposed to be here yesterday but I was away in Togo and most of the Senior staff that were supposed to be there with him were with me.So I think it is normal for me to come and greet him today.

And on what he discussed with Obasanjo, he replied: “You should know
that I must branch at his house when I am in Abeokuta. Obasanjo is my
father and I am his son.If I enter Abeokuta and fail to check on Baba
at his residence,you people will be thinking that there is a fight
between us and there is nothing like that.”

The President was accompanied by the Minister of Health,some serving Senators and other personalities.

Abeokuta was locked down by security personnel as long as the two visits lasted