PDP Reconciliation: Jonathan Hosts Obasanjo, Otedola In Aso Villa

Source: thewillnigeria.com
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PRESIDENT JONATHAN (R) WITH FORMER PRESIDENT, OLUSEGUN OBASANJO & (L-R) MADAM EUNICE JONATHAN, FEMI OTEDOLA, MD FORTE OIL & OTHER WORSHIPPERS DURING THE SUNDAY SERVICE AT THE ASO VILLA CHAPEL, STATE HOUSE ABUJA.FEBRUARY 03, 2013

SAN FRANCISCO, February 03, (THEWILL) – Indications of an early resolution of the festering crisis in the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as well as the rift between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan emerged Sunday with the visit of Obasanjo to the Aso Villa in Abuja.

The former president and ex-Board of Trustees (BoT) chairman of PDP was accompanied on the visit by two of his daughters, Chief Executive Officer of Forte Oil and PDP financier, Mr. Femi Otedola, and one other associate.

It would be recalled that Obasanjo had fallen out with Jonathan over his criticism of the inability of the Jonathan Administration to properly address the security challenges posed by Boko Haram, a criticism Jonathan did not take kindly with all kinds of reactions by the presidential media aides.

Also recently, Obasanjo, in an interview with New Africa, was quoted as saying: “If the president is the chief security officer of the country and there is a security problem, where do you go for solution?

" And if that solution is not coming from the chief security officer, who has everybody and can mobilise everybody, inside and outside to get a solution, then he has the responsibility to solve the problem. And nobody else should be blamed but him.”

Also last week, a former minister in the Obasanjo’s cabinet, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, criticised the Yar’Adua/Jonathan administration for allegedly squandering $67 billion left in the nation’s foreign reserve by the Obasanjo Administration.

On his part, Otedola had embarrased the ruling party with the bribery scandal involving his Zenon Oil and Gas and former chairman of the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee on the probing of the proceeds of oil subsidy, Farouk Lawan, who is currently cooling his heels in prison custody until February 8 when his bail application would be considered.

But when Obasanjo visited the Aso Villa with his daughters,associate and Otedola,Sunday afternoon, they joined Jonathan in a prayer session after which they had lunch with the president.

The visit is already generating comments as a source in the villa said it shouldn’t be seen as unusual. “If you recall the Vice President had last month visited the former president. What is happening is that both are trying to see how the intractable crisis threatening the unity of the PDP can be tackled once and for all.

“You should also not forget that Obasanjo, apart from being an elder in the party is also an elder statesman whose spiritual guidance and profane wisdom must be sought by President Jonathan in all matters of state,” the source said.

Though details of the meeting were not made known, the source said it was simply a prayer meeting, during which “Obasanjo took the second reading at the service and accompanied President Goodluck Jonathan to the children's church," adding " That is how the visit should be seen and nothing else."

The source also added:" I can assure you that they prayed together and subsequently had a meal. I was not privy to the details of what they discussed over lunch.”