Horse-trading, intrigues intensify over 2023 polls
A former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, was on Thursday spotted in a photograph in London, United Kingdom, with the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi; Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
All the governors are close allies of Governor Wike.
The London meeting also attracted former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke and Olaka Nwogu.
The three PDP Governors and Duke belong to the Wike’s camp, which has demanded the removal of the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, among others as a condition to back the flag bearer of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar in 2023.
Nwogu was a former Chairman of Eleme Local Government of Rivers State.
In 2015, he initially won the senatorial position to represent Rivers South East Senatorial District on the platform of the PDP, but lost in the election re-run to Magnus Abe of the All Progressives Congress following the cancellation of the first election.
Whereas the news behind the photograph was yet to be ascertained as at press time, sources said that it might not be unconnected with permutations ahead of the 2023 presidential elections.
Reports had it that it was geared towards seeking Wike’s support in the forthcoming 2023 general election.
There had been a meeting between Wike and the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in London, just as Atiku had also jetted to the UK.
Wike has been involved in a war of words with the camp of Atiku.
Obasanjo had recently cautioned the supporters of Tinubu over the claim that he had endorsed him for the 2023 presidency.
Obasanjo had expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as an unauthorised report of the discussion at the closed-door meeting he held on August 17, 2022 with the former Lagos State governor.
Tinubu had visited Obasanjo at his Penthouse, located within the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.
Tinubu was accompanied by Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; two former governors of the state, Olusegun Osoba and Otunba Gbenga Daniel; billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola; former interim National Chairman of APC, Bisi Akande, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, among others.
Both Obasanjo and Tinubu refused to address the media after their closed-door meeting.
But the former president in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, said the statements coming from those claiming to be supporters of Tinubu were unhelpful.
He expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as an unauthorised report of the discussion at the closed-door meeting he held with Tinubu.
In one of the reports credited to unknown sources who claimed to be privy to the meeting, Obasanjo was said to have told Tinubu that it would be the turn of the South to produce the president in 2023, stressing that he was surprised that someone from the North is also contesting.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila had also disclosed that what transpired during the meeting between Obasanjo and Tinubu was a sign of victory for Tinubu come 2023.
Gbajabiamila reportedly made the statement while speaking at the Surulere Local Government Area APC meeting in Surulere, Lagos.
The Speaker, who said he was present at the closed-door meeting in Abeokuta, said from what he heard there, Tinubu’s presidency was almost a reality.
The former president said the discussion during the visit was “more brotherly than political,” adding that at the request of Tinubu, the former president agreed that no statement should be issued from either side.
“Those claiming to be insiders at the meeting issuing statements on the discussion and those crediting to me statements I had not made are enemies of the visitor and are not doing the visit any good”, Obasanjo had said.
