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President Jonathan Humilated As Obasanjo Avoids Meeting Him In Abeokuta

Published

10 years ago

January 12, 2015

President Goodluck Jonathan did not succeed in his bid to meet former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday as the former President sneaked out from his palatial building in Abeokuta, immediately Jonathan arrived the state capital.
Elombah.com had reported this morning that Nigeria’s President will take the opportunity of his campaign rally in Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital, and hometown of former President Olusegun Obasanjo today to pay a visit to his former political benefactor whom has been bandying words with him lately in the media.
According to reports, Jonathan would have used the opportunity of the meeting to appeal to Obasanjo to have a rethink on his position over his re-election in February.
But Obasanjo who was driven out in his black jeep and one security hilux van, shunned his main entrance and made use of his private gate through which he sneaked out.
A Vanguard correspondent who was at Obasanjo’s house to cover the expected meeting between the two country leaders reported that, some security personnel who had been detailed at the former President house suddenly disappeared.
Source close to Obasanjo’s Hilltop mansion in Abeokuta had earlier confided in our correspondent said that President Jonathan was not in the Obasanjo itinerary for the day.
He also hinted that, Obasanjo jetted out around 2: 59p.m few minutes after the helicopter that flew the President to the state touched the ground.
Operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) who had earlier besieged the Obasanjo’s Hilltop mansion as early as 6a.m in anticipation of president Jonathan’s arrival also left the place at exactly 3: 10p.m when it became obvious that Jonathan was not coming to Obasanjo’s house.
Jonathan however, arrived the M.K.O stadium in Abeokuta at exactly 3: 50p.m and headed straight to the state box from where he later moved out to acknowledge cheers from the crowd who had thronged the stadium venue of the campaign as early as 7: 30a.m.
The former President had last Monday said Nigeria was facing economic problems due to the failure of the present administration to plan for a rainy day.
Jonathan and Obasanjo had been engaged in some ongoing feuds, but the Owu chief’s appearance on Saturday at the church wedding ceremony of President Jonathan’s foster daughter, Inebharapu, with his retinue which included his trusted aide, Dr Andy Uba, gave the guests a pleasant jolt.
Not only was Obasanjo’s arrival cheered with a deafening applause, he was also given a standing ovation as he made his way to the VIP section where he eventually settled down calmly.
Saturday’s occasion, held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, would be the first time the duo would meet since the public presentation of My Watch last month. It would also be recalled that Obasanjo pointedly shunned President Jonathan’s declaration to contest the February 14 presidential election.
The former Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees chairman had, in addition, tacitly rebuffed the peace overtures of the party leaders, who paid him a visit at his Abeokuta residence last year.