Obasanjo endorses Atiku in Abeokuta, calls him ‘President-in-Waiting’ and has promised to work with the ex-president to defeat Buhari.
Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, arrived the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on the afternoon of Thursday, October 11, 2018 and received ‘Baba Iyabo’s’ blessings ahead of a crucial vote for Nigeria.
Atiku arrived the Obasanjo library complex at about 1:05pm alongside PDP Chairman Uche Secondus, Afenifere leader Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Atiku campaign organization Director-General and former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Sheikh Gumi and Senator Ben-Murray Bruce, among others.
Bishop David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel and Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese Matthew Kukah were also part of the Atiku delegation to Obasanjo’s home state, an indication that the church in Nigeria is favorably disposed to an Atiku presidency.
Atiku and Obasanjo endured a strained, frosty relationship as Vice President and President respectively from 1999 to 2007.
Obasanjo frustrated Atiku’s presidential bid in 2007 and publicly vowed never to support Atiku in his series of presidential bids since they both left office.
Today’s meeting was expected to mend some of that broken relationship and sources have said that Obasanjo is now open to backing Atiku against incumbent President Buhari who is the candidate of the APC for the 2019 contest.
Obasanjo can’t stand Buhari who he considers incompetent and who he has publicly berated as a failure.
“Obasanjo is now open to working with Atiku to defeat Buhari in 2019. You can take this to the bank”, a source privy to the discussions at this meeting said.
Another source at the meeting quoted Obasanjo as saying: “Let me congratulate the President-to-be Atiku Abubakar”.
Obasanjo is often consulted by politicians ahead of electioneering season. The former president famously turned his back on Jonathan before the 2015 election. Jonathan lost the ballot to Buhari thereafter.
