President Jonathan during his condolence visit to the Abatis in Abeokuta
DailyPost had reported earlier that President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday, visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital.
The meeting could be seen as a move by the President to calm reports that both men were not in good terms. It is believed that discussion was also held on the 2015 presidential election.
In May, Obasanjo visited the President in his Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Villa during the Special Summit of African Heads of State and Government and the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the African Union,AU.
Jonathan was in Ogun State to pay a condolence visit on his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, over the demise of his late mother. She was buried on Friday in Abeokuta.
The president, who arrived Lagos on Friday for the commissioning of a 200-unit Idimu Police Housing Estate, named after him, had flown to Lome, Togo for a meeting of the Economic Community of West African States,ECOWAS. He returned to Lagos same day where he passed the night.
Jonathan arrived at Obasanjo’s house few minutes to 12 noon and left 1:30pm.
However, few minutes after the President left, four pro-Amaechi governors from the North, drove in for a meeting with the former President.
They were, Muritala Nyako (Adamawa State), Musa Kwakwanso (Kano State), Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto State) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa State).
According to them, they were there for a meeting on “very important matters.”
In a brief chat with newsmen, the governors said they had come to visit Obasanjo for “political consultations”, adding that “Obasanjo is the most accomplished Nigerian ever and will remain so for a very long time, and we have come to consult him on very important matters.”
Although, journalists were not allowed entry to the venue, DailyPost gathered that the Governors deliberately avoided the President, as they arrived earlier but waited for him to leave.
Speaking at Abati’s residence, the president confirmed the visit to Obasanjo.
He noted that his mission in Abeokuta was to commiserate with the Abati family, adding that he could not have been present in Abeokuta without paying homage to the former president. “It is true we saw President Obasanjo in his house because we came here to Abeokuta to commiserate with Abati who buried his mother yesterday. And knowing that Abati’s house is at the backyard of Obasanjo’s house, it will not be good if we come and not visit him, he said.
“Even the man himself will not be happy if we don’t visit him. I am like a son to Obasanjo,” he said.
The president disclosed that he had planned to attend the Church service, but had to make the trip to Togo after commissioning of the housing estate in Lagos.
He condoled with the family of Abati, advising them to take solace in the fact that their mother lived to a ripe old age, beyond the biblical three score and 10.
While thanking his boss, Abati said that the family members were no longer expecting the president, since he was ably represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Ogiadomhe, at the service.
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