Obasanjo hosts G7 govs, keeps mum

Chief Obasanjo, who resigned as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in dramatic fashion last year, declined to meet newsmen for an interview after the meeting.The former president left the residence for a private engagement shortly afterwards.It was the second time the governors would visit Obasanjo after the […]

Chief Obasanjo, who resigned as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in dramatic fashion last year, declined to meet newsmen for an interview after the meeting.
The former president left the residence for a private engagement shortly afterwards.
It was the second time the governors would visit Obasanjo after the controversial convention in September which creating division in the party.
Details from yesterday’s meeting were sketchy, but a source close to the G-7 group said they made ‘useful discussions’ on the way forward in view of the protracted problem within the PDP.
After meeting with Obasanjo, the governors also made a stopover in Lagos and met with former Head of the Interim National Government Chief Ernest Shonekan and former defence minister TY Danjuma. There were no details from the two meetings.
Five of the seven governors were present at yesterday’s meeting with Obasanjo which lasted about one and a half hours at the Obasanjo Presidential Hilltop. Those present included governor of Rivers Rotimi Ameachi, Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger) who briefed newsmen.
Governors of Kwara and Sokoto States, Abdul-fattah Ahmed and Aliyu Wamakko respectively did not attend the meeting. The two were also absent at the Abuja meeting of the group which was disrupted by the police on Sunday but sent their apologies.
The visit was devoid of the retinue of the governors’ aides, including their press crews who usually accompany them to such visits. A certain flight which was supposed to convey some of the aides was reportedly aborted. No reason was given for the cancellation.
Our correspondent however gathered that the governors who took off from Abuja arrived via the Ibadan Airport instead of Lagos, and were provided with vehicles by the Oyo State government to drive down to Abeokuta. They arrived at Obasanjo’s residence at about 12.00noon.
At 1.45pm, they drove out to waiting newsmen who had defied the scorching sun outside the gate. The Rivers governor was behind the wheels, with Lamido beside him while Aliyu, Kwankwso and Nyako were inside. The Jigawa governor urged them to stop and urged his Niger counterpart to address the newsmen and they all decided to alight from the Jeep.
Aliyu said the mission was a follow-up to earlier visits. “You will recall that when the issues started, we consulted our elders, so this is part of the consultations”, he said, pointing out that the visit to Obasanjo was crucial.
The governor noted that there was a lull in the meeting with the president because of this year’s pilgrimage. “So we need to consult again if there is any variable that has intervened and we are very happy that the things are going normal”, he said.
When asked whether the visit could be interpreted to mean coming to bid their leader farewell amidst speculations of joining the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), the Rivers governor quipped: “That is just a mere speculation.”
During a series of meetings with President Jonathan in Abuja, the G7 governors presented some demands which included that the national chairman of the party Bamanga Tukur be removed; and that Jonathan himself should not rush into declaring a second term bid in view of the weighty issues on ground.
The police in Abuja on Sunday tried unsuccessfully  to stop a meet of the five governors which was holding at the time at the Kano State government lodge, Abuja.