THE National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel
Sambo Dasuki [retd], on Sunday, met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at
his Hill Top residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, over sundry
national issues, particularly security matters.
His meeting with the NSA coincided with the
hosting of a peace parley convened at the same venue by PDP leaders to resolve
the protracted feud in the Ogun State chapter of PDP, which had pitched the
former leader with some forces.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the NSA arrived at
the residence of Obasanjo at about 12.35 p.m.
According to the source, two very close associates
of the former leader had indicated their willingness to be part of the meeting
but the former leader reportedly objected on the ground that it was planned to
be a closed –door session.
Obasanjo has been one of the critics of the
Jonathan administration over its approach to tackling the insurgency in the
Northern part of the country, but it was not clear if the rising clamour by
some senior citizens for amnesty for the militant Boko Haram members was
discussed by the leaders.
While the comprehensive details of their
discussions remained sketchy as of press time on Monday, a source, who was
among the dignitaries that had converged on the same premises for the PDP
meeting before Dasuki arrived, quoted Obasanjo Was saying the NSA said his
visit was part of the ongoing general consultations on how to stem the problem
of insecurity in the country.
According to the source, the former president said
he was told that some persons were equally worried about what they saw as his
body language, following certain developments in the political circle,
especially in PDP.
Obasanjo was further quoted as claiming to have
received another ‘emissary’ not long ago because of what was perceived as his
tactical way of avoiding the authorities by electing to embark on foreign trips
more frequently. However, he did not give the name of the emissary.
Meanwhile, Obasanjo has promised not to watch from
the sidelines the unfolding events concerning the 2015 presidential election,
another source at the PDP meeting, has said.
The meeting with PDP leaders, which began at about
1.45 p.m. and lasting for about three hours, was primarily designed to broker
peace among the warring PDP camps in his home state.
He told the party members that he was not going to
adopt the siddon look attitude, which he recalled that his close friend and
former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, late Chief
Bola Ige used as a metaphor for passive resistance against the Shenanigans that
characterized the party politics of the Abacha era.
He said he would not only be on his feet but also
remain an active player in the political horse trading as a prelude to the 2015
elections.
The source at the meeting said the ex-president,
who appeared being gradually sidelined by some forces in the ruling PDP,
said no one should mistaken his current posture as an act of surrender as
the battle for the 2015 election rages.
Obasanjo reportedly told the gathering that he had
set three major objectives to be accomplished, which included playing a leading
role in the next presidential election, ensuring his political camp reclaims
his immediate constituency, Ogun State and winning the South-West, adding that
he was already working with other like-minds across the country to build the
necessary capacity towards attaining the goal.
At the meeting, the chieftains reportedly resolved
that the governorship candidate of the party in the 2011 poll, General Tunji
Olurin should become the PDP state leader while efforts would be intensified to
cement all perceived cracks within the rank and file of the party.
Some of the dignitaries at the PDP meeting
included a former Minister of Finance, Senator Jibril Martins- Kuye, Chief
[Mrs.] Titi Ajanaku, Dr Gbadebo Oshinowo, Chief Sule Onabiyi, General Tunji
Olurin [retd], Chief Johnson Oyewole Fasawe, a former governor of Ekiti State,
Dr. Segun Oni and Seriki Niyi Adegbenro, who facilitated the PDP peace meeting.
Others were former ministers, commissioners under
the administration of former Governor Gbenga Daniel, past senators and PDP
members in the state House of Assembly former state chairman of the party,
Elder Joju Fadairo, as well as other PDP elders since 1998.
Source: Tribune
