Obasanjo’s campaign for Obi part of his ‘national agenda’
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
“The Tinubu people were not happy that Baba [Obasanjo] was there [London] because they felt Baba had committed himself when they met with him in Ota.
“They felt Baba was already committed to them [Tinubu’s camp] and so when he [Obasanjo] met with Wike, alongside Obi, the Tinubu camp was not happy that he was part of the London meeting with Wike and Obi” – Source.
Bola Tinubu is unnerved by the campaign by Olusegun Obasanjo for Peter Obi despite the former President saying “I don’t have a special candidate, I have a national agenda.”
Obasanjo made the clarification on Sunday when he visited former military President Ibrahim Babangida in Minna to comfort him over his illness.
But some, including Tinubu and the Tinubu Team, interpreted it as another campaign trip for Obi – because Obasanjo also visited former Head of State Abubakar Abdulsalami, who is not ill.
In any case, Obasanjo last week in London did rally support for Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), when he had a meeting with Obi and Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike and his allies.
To add to the speculation, Wike said on Tuesday he would soon announce his preferred presidential candidate for the vote in 2023.
Tinubu, All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, has reacted by shifting into higher gear his political attacks on Obi, sending out on Monday his proxy Dele Alake to disparage Obi.
Alake accused Obi of having nothing to show for the eight years he was Anambra Governor from 2006 to 2014, compared with the achievements of Tinubu when he was Lagos Governor between 1999 and 2007.
However, the Obi-Datti Media Office riposted in a statement which gave as much as it got from the Tinubu Campaign.
Wike and his allies met with Obasanjo and Obi in London on the need to form an alliance, which has rattled the Tinubu Campaign, according to an APC source who spoke to Vanguard.
The source said: “First, it was the Wike camp that leaked the London meeting with Obasanjo and Obi, and secondly, it was because of Peter Obi that Obasanjo was present at the meeting with the Wike camp.
“The Wike camp did not want the story leaked by someone else and that informed their decision to leak the story and picture that they met with Obasanjo and Obi.
“Obasanjo was at the London meeting at the instance of Obi. The Wike camp wanted to meet Peter Obi but Obi requested that Obasanjo should be present before the meeting could hold.”
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Tinubu displeased
“The Tinubu people were not happy that Baba [Obasanjo] was there [London] because they felt Baba had committed himself when they met with him in Ota,” the source added, per Vanguard.
“They felt Baba was already committed to them [Tinubu’s camp] and so when he [Obasanjo] met with Wike, alongside Obi, the Tinubu camp was not happy that he was part of the London meeting with Wike and Obi.”
Days before the London roundtable, Tinubu and his allies had met with Obasanjo at his Ota residence to seek his blessing and support.
Obasanjo has, however, denied reports that he endorsed Tinubu during the visit.
His Media Assistant Kehinde Akinyemi quashed such a claim by Tinubu loyalists, insisting the discussion was “more brotherly than political” and Obasanjo neither agreed with nor disapproved of Tinubu’s presidential quest.
