Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has again escalated his rejection of President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2nd term bid by declaring his current mindset to be “Anything But Jonathan” (ABJ).
He expressed his feelings to several of his aides after his widely publicized meeting with Jonathan.
Jonathan’s closed-door meeting with Obasanjo clearly failed to soften the former leader’s hostility towards his floundering re-election bid as Obasanjo bluntly told him that having referred to elders as a “touts”, it was hypocritical for Jonathan to turn around to describe him (Obasanjo) as the best president Nigeria ever had.
If Jonathan believes Obasanjo is Nigeria’s best president, why does he allow his boy to insult him?
To make matters worse, a few hours after meeting with Jonathan, Obasanjo met with leaders of the APC and their presidential candidate, Muhammad Buhari, where he affirmed he will support the best candidate for the office of President in 2015, regardless of party affiliation.
It would be recalled that on Sunday, while receiving members of the Northern Elders Council in Abuja, an angry Jonathan had in a barely-veiled description of Obasanjo, dismissed some statesmen.
“Some people call themselves statesmen but they are not, they are just ordinary politicians,” Jonathan told his guests. “To be a statesman is not because you have occupied a big office before, but the question is what are you bringing to bear? Are you building this country or are you a part of people who tell lies to destroy the country?”
Upon arriving at the meeting with Obasanjo today, Jonathan tried to turn on the charm, lavishing praise on Obasanjo as he blamed the escalation of attacks on him as the work of his (Jonathan) aides.
According to SR, Obasanjo apparently did not buy any of the goods Jonathan was hawking. Shortly after the encounter, he told his aides he would not change his position on Jonathan’s presidential bid.
Obasanjo’s subsequent and open display of affection towards the APC leadership is reportedly sending shock waves up and down Jonathan’s camp, where it is regarded as confirmation that the reconciliation efforts with Obasanjo have collapsed, leaving him in grave political danger with the election just one month away.
This will be the first time a PDP candidate tried to win the presidency with Obasanjo not the candidate, or firmly on his side.
