GODSWILL AKPABIO SEEKS OBASANJO’S SUPPORT FOR JONATHAN’S RE-ELECTION

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Akwa Ibom State Governor,  Godswill Akpabio, met behind closed doors  in Abuja on Thursday to deliberate on  the  polarisation of  the  Peoples Democratic Party governors.

It was gathered that at the meeting, Akpabio also  solicited Obasanjo’s support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid in 2015.

Akpabio, who chairs  the PDP Governors’ Forum, was said to have used the  opportunity of the meeting which was attended by a PDP chieftain,  Otunba Oyewole Fasawe,  to solicit for the intervention of the former President in ending the differences among the governors.He was said to have told  Obasanjo that the ongoing acrimony among the governors was not good for the image of the  PDP and its determination to win the 2015 presidential election.

Since the conduct of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum election, which was won by  Rivers State Governor,  Rotimi Amaechi, the  PDP governors have continued to exchange hot words on the pages of newspapers.While those who supported Amaechi’s opponent , Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State,   have continued to accuse those in the other camp of betrayal, supporters of the winner said it was victory for democracy.The outcome of the election had resorted in  the NGF having two secretariats.

Also, some of the governors, like Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, have  warned that  winning the  PDP  presidential  primary  by  Jonathan would not be a guarantee that he  would triumph  during   the presidential election.Lamido, who is known to be very close to Obasanjo,is one of  the four governors from the northern region that visited Amaechi in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. The others  were   Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano);  Babangida Aliyu (Niger); and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).

At the meeting, Obasanjo was said to have listened with rapt attention when Akpabio solicited his intervention to smoothen the relationship between the President and the governors.Though the former President was said not to have made any commitment, it was gathered that Akpabio was working towards bringing   Obasanjo and Jonathan to come together and discuss.Akpabio, who is also close to the former President, was said to have expressed his worry  on  how the former President had distanced himself from the activities of the PDP.

A source privy to the meeting which held at   Hilton Hotel  said, “It was a brief meeting, where the former President listened with rapt attention as Akpabio spoke. But unexpectedly, he did not make any commitment.  But I think that   President Jonathan  would want to meet with the former President.”

Obasanjo was said to have immediately left for Zimbabwe after the meeting while  Fasawe went to  the headquarters of the PDP for  a  discussion with  the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur.Fasawe confirmed the meeting but declined to give details.“But you know my relationship with Chief Obasanjo,” was the answer he gave when asked to speak on issues that were discussed at the Hilton Hotel meeting.