Buhari, APC leaders woo Obasanjo

Say ex-president’s membership card still being reserved

From SEGUN OLATUNJI, Abeokuta

Barely 13 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan held a nocturnal secret meeting with former president Olusegun Obasanjo in his hilltop presidential mansion in Abeokuta, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the major opposition party yesterday met with the former president at the same venue to woo him to their side.

Buhari and his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in company with APC leaders, including Senator Bola Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Chief Audu Ogbe, Chief Barnabas Gemade, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Governor Ibikunle Amosun and others arrived at Obasanjo’s residence at about 11.20am in a convoy of cars.

Obasanjo first received Buhari and the APC leaders in the main hall inside his palatial mansion for about 40minutes, where he eulogized the virtues of the former military head of state, describing him as an ‘honest person’.

Buhari, in his remarks, solicited Obasanjo’s support for his presidential aspiration during the February 14 presidential election, in spite of his insistence to remain a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He stressed that the APC would focus attention on issues of security, economy and corruption if voted into power.

The APC presidential candidate said: “Sir, it is a fact that you know more than all we know about the problem that we are in. But, all we will do is to ‎try to convince you to believe us that we are going to do better. We expect your understanding and support, although you insist in remaining in PDP. I have reached a certain degree of frustration in my attempt for you to try to shift a bit but you have refused. Briefly, we have been going around three fundamental issues: security, economy and corruption. This vicious circle is what the APC is determined to break. Because without security, there is no way the country can settle down not to talk of living in it. So many people, educated and uneducated, some said up to 60 percent, will say Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder.

“And then corruption; we believe that if we are able to stop corruption, a lot of resources will be available to invest in infrastructure, get the factories to reopen, get jobs, and get goods and services. So security, economy, in terms of employment, production, manufacturing, goods and services, and then agriculture will again give impetus to employment. We have to be systematic and work to make sure that the vast land we have is cultivated not only to produce food, but also to produce raw materials for agro-allied industries, which used to be very viable but which we allowed to die because everybody has concentrated on getting oil money. Now the oil money is dwindling rapidly; I think we better come back to our senses.

“Sir, briefly, this is what we intend to do and this is contained in our manifesto. We are not going to be inflexible the way some people accused us of doing it. We are going to be dynamic as we go along and that’s why, I said we are here to seek for your understanding, for your support, in spite of the political card you hold.”

Also speaking in the same vein, APC National Chairman, Oyegun assured Obasanjo that the party would continue to retain the membership card it had reserved for the former president.

But in his response, Obasanjo, who in spite of all entreaties by Buhari and the APC leadership, insisted that he remained a card-carrying member of the PDP.

He, however, reiterated that regardless of his party affiliation, the well-being of the nation remained paramount to him.

Obasanjo urged political parties to shun trivialities and ensure that they focused on issues affecting the nation during their campaign rallies.

The former president also called on the APC and other political parties to make the issue of infrastructure development a priority.

He also noted that no political party in the world was immune to having people of questionable character within its fold.

The former president said: “Let me welcome all of you. But let me in a special way welcome Muhammadu. Our paths have crossed on a number of occasions and when I was told you are coming to Ogun State, I was not sure whether you would come here or not. But I told my boys; I said well, whatever programme we have outside Ogun State for today; let us shelve it just in case Muhammadu and his party and his team decide to call here. You will remember when you decided to contest, you wrote me a letter; this time around. And I replied your letter. When you became the flag bearer of your party, you wrote me another letter. And I replied your second letter because I believe that you have honoured me by writing and I should of course reciprocate by also responding to your letter. You have kindly underlined what I want everybody to remember; that I am a card-carrying member of another political party. But I have always also said that party or no party, what is paramount for me is Nigeria. And that will remain paramount as far as I am concerned. There is no political party in the world that is made up of saints and our own political parties in Nigeria will be no exception. All the political parties have saints and devils among them. But because what you are campaigning for is the votes of saints and devils to be able to win an election, I wish you well.

“I thought that I should say it today that I have this opportunity because I hope people will face issues rather than trivialities. On occasion like this, issues are very important. And you have mentioned three areas, which are demanding issues in the country today. I will just beg all of you who are contesting to add one to it; you mentioned economy, you mentioned corruption, and you mentioned security. All of you, I will beg of you to add infrastructure. It is very important. You may take it as part of economy but I will take infrastructure as special and give it special attention. For all political parties that are trying to woo us to vote for them in the coming election; let’s go away from red herring, let’s go away from trivialities, let’s face issues and tell the people of this country what we will do to deal with these crying problems of our country. Having said that, I will also say that while a party must be microcosm of a nation – and in a nation you will have near saints, devils, rapists, armed robbers and a good party must have all this in them. But what matters is that when that party has to go into government, it must look for men and women of character. And we have them in all parties; we have them throughout the nooks and crannies of this country. Again, I wish you well as you go around. I thank you for this visit. I cannot end without reminding you, even though I saw some old faces, but some of us will remain firm at least at the ward level where I am very active in my party.”

Obasanjo, Buhari and the APC leaders later went into the main building where they held a 14-minute closed-door meeting.

They all later emerged from the short closed-door meeting and posed for photographs with Obasanjo.

Journalists, who had waited eagerly were not briefed by anyone regarding the outcome or focus of the discussion during the brief meeting.

Buhari and the APC leaders immediately left Obasanjo’s residence and headed to the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta where the party presidential candidate addressed crowd of supporters.

He pledged that the APC, if elected in the forthcoming election would ensure good governance for the country.