Obasanjo shuns PDP, Jonathan reconciliation again

There were indications on Friday that former President Olusegun Obasanjo might have shunned a peace move by the Peoples Democratic Party and President Goodluck Jonathan.

It was gathered that as part of the President’s visit to Ogun State on Friday, Jonathan and the leadership of the PDP had planned to meet with the former President. It was, however, learnt that the former president, who had got wind of the peace move, travelled to Gambia on Thursday.

It was not clear whether the ex-President had plans to attend the Gambia event before Jonathan’s visit.

Investigations revealed that Obasanjo would have been part of the closed-door meeting Jonathan had with some Ogun State traditional rulers on Friday, but for his absence from the country.

An aide of the former president, who pleaded anonymity because Obasanjo did not mandate him to speak on the issue, explained his (Obasanjo’s) main grouse with Jonathan. He said that the major problem the former president had with Jonathan and the PDP was the promotion of a chieftain of the party, Mr. Buruji Kashamu.

“I can tell you authoritatively that Baba’s (Obasanjo) problem with the President and the PDP is the promotion of Kashamu,” he said.

The aide recalled that Obasanjo had in 2014 written a letter to the then PDP Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, complaining about Kashamu’s membership of the party. In the letter dated 7 January, 2014, Obasanjo said he would, temporarily, cease to be a member of the party by withdrawing from its activities because Kahamu had been extolled as a party leader.

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