Nigeria’s Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki has had a closed door meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun state Capital, South-west Nigeria.
Dr. Saraki informed reporters who had gathered at the former President’s residence that the visit was a private rather than a political one.
He revealed that he made the visit to fulfill a promise he had made to the former president.
According to Saraki, “I missed the opening (of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library) the last time, and I promised Baba that I must come and see the library. It’s beautiful, it’s fantastic; we are proud of what he’s been able to do here, it’s very good to see it,”
The Senate President, however, declined to give details about his discussion with the former President.
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Dr. Saraki had also visited former Military President Ibrahim Babangida at his Minna residence on the 8th of August, 2018.
The meeting which had also been behind closed doors was barred to reporters as the reason for the meeting was also not disclosed. Saraki had also said that meeting was a private one.
This series of meetings could be connected to the recent political brouhaha that has engulfed the country as Nigeria prepares for General Elections in 2019.
There has been a lot of cross-carpeting between the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Including the Senate President Himself Bukola Saraki dumping the ruling APC to the opposition PDP; a move that has generated furious backlash from the APC leadership and the Presidency.
The political intrigue came to an incredible height when masked operatives belonging to the Department of State Security, DSS invaded and blockaded the National Assembly preventing lawmakers and members of staff from gaining access to the complex; the siege lasted for 7 hours.
The Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osibajo was furious at the situation and sacked the Director General of the DSS, lawal Daura while the presidency claimed ignorance of the entire situation.
The APC and the PDP have thrown accusations and counter accusations against each other for the assault on the grounds of the National Assembly.
While the PDP insists the plot was orchestrated by senior APC party members to remove the senate president unlawfully; the APC refuted the allegations while also insisting that Saraki step down or he will be impeached.