Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has stressed the need for the Peoples Democratic Party,(PDP) to put its house in order “if it still wants to be relevant” in 2015, saying that the way the affairs of the party were being run currently needed to be reviewed in the over all interest of the party.
Chief Obasanjo was quoted to have made this statement when the Chief Tony Anenih-led Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party visited him in Abeokuta,Ogun State, as part of the on going reconciliatory moves in the party.
According to an inside source at the meeting, former President Obasanjo’s advice followed the protest by the Chief Anenih-led group that he (Obasanjo) had distanced himself from the Board as well as the party’s activities since he resigned as the BoT chairman last year.
The Nigerian Tribune learnt further that the Chief Anenih-led group pleaded with Chief Obasanjo as the National leader of the PDP not to abandon it at this critical period of total reconciliation ahead of the 2015 general elections for the party to make a headway.
The source stated that it was at this juncture that the former President cleared his throat and spoke his mind, hammering on the need to urgently address the security challenges facing the nation,the unending crises in the party and the need for the government to correct all noticed anomalies at all levels of government, for peace to reign supreme in the country.
According to the source,”Chief Obasanjo was very frank on the security challenges threatening the corporate existence of the country and the need to address this development. He said that as things are, it is the PDP-led Federal Government that the people would be blaming. He was also not happy about the situation in the party. He said that PDP would have to put its house in order as the ruling party ahead of the general elections.”
The source however pointed out that only 10 people attended the closed door meeting comprising Chief Obasanjo, Chief Tony Anenih, Senator Jibril Walin, the secretary of the BoT, Chief Tunde Osunrinde, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, Chief (Mrs) Aduke Maina, Governors Alhaji Ibrahim Shema and Alhaji Sule Lamido of Katsina and Jigawa States. Others were former governors of Nasarawa and Kaduna States, Senators Abdullahi Adamu and Ahmed Makarfi respectively as against media reports.
“I can confirm to you, only the members of the BoT attended the meeting with the former President. What happened was that Chief Anenih’s team met other visitors at Baba’s residence who happened to be PDP members like the former Ekiti State Governor, Chief segun Oni; former chairman of the Party in Ogun State, Elder Joju Fadairo; former National Auditor, Chief Bode Mustapha and Otunba Oyewole Fashawe among others.
“When it was time for the real meeting, Chief Obasanjo advised others to excuse them and after the meeting those that were still around were asked to join the group for photograph while Chief Anenih was mandated to address the press, that was all,” our source further buttressed.