Move to reconcile Jonathan, OBJ begins •How Beninese president facilitated Kenya meeting •Obasanjo meets S/W PDP leaders

AS the letter from former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, to President Goodluck Jonathan continues to generate reactions, the president of Benin Republic, Mr Boni Yayi, has launched a peace move to reconcile the two warring leaders.

President Yayi is reputed to be very close to both President Jonathan and Obasanjo. The Benin leader has had cause to serve as peacemaker between the two leaders in the past.

Sunday Tribune was reliably told that since the controversial letter became public, the Benioniose leader had launched into action, tracking President Jonathan from South Africa to Kenya to forestall escalation of the feud.

President Yayi is said to be conversant with the relationship and issues between the two Nigerian leaders, even as a source said the African Union (AU) former chairman is well versed in the internal politics of Nigeria.

A top administration source revealed that Yayi was the organiser of the unusual meeting between both Obasanjo and Jonathan in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. Yayi was said to have prevailed on both leaders to meet and talk to douse tension back at home.

It was not clear whether it was the intervention of Yayi that stopped harsh reaction and response of the Nigerian Presidency to the letter as well as the directive to presidential aides not to engage Obasanjo. It was, however, gathered that Yayi had placated the two leaders to iron out issues out of public glare.

Details of Yayi’s peace plan is, however, not clear beyond the meeting between the two leaders which security sources said had done a lot to calm frayed nerves and douse the tension raised by the letter.

Group chides ex-president over letter
Meanwhile, a group known as Nigeria in Safe Hands has descended on former President Obasanjo over his letter to President Jonathan, saying  it “betrays the ‘elders statesman’s deep-rooted resentment for his successor and smirks of mischief and a deliberate attempt to ridicule the person of Mr. President.”

Addressing a world press conference in Abuja, the national coordinator of the group, Tabuko Kennedy; and its chairman, Godwin Meliga, expressed that Obasanjo, as a former president, owed it as an obligation to the country to promote peace and unity, declaring that it was unbecoming of him to “unnecessarily” heat up the polity.

“As a man that has unfettered access to Mr. President, it would have been more credible if he had articulated his opinions, comments or suggestions to Mr. President through a more appropriate channel. That is why we, like many Nigerians, believe that Obasanjo has sinister motives for concocting the letter to Mr. President,” the group said.

Resign or face humiliation, cleric tells president
Meanwhile, an Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmed Abubakar Gumi, has called on the president to resign now or face humiliation at the 2015 election.

Sheik Gumi in a statement on Saturday said “for Nigeria to be safe President Jonathan has three options. He either resigns or get impeached as the dirt becomes overwhelming; or he is humiliated in a general election.

“This time, rigging in national election with wanton scandal is almost impossible.

“What really matters most in life is today, not yesterday or tomorrow. Today Obasanjo has done his best to admonish and warn the nation. I salute his courage.”

Obasanjo, S/West PDP leaders meet in Abeokuta
The Abeokuta Hilltop residence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo played host to leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West on Saturday.

The meeting, which was held behind closed doors, had in attendance the suspended National Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni and former deputy governor of Lagos State, Mrs Kofoworola Bucknor.

Although, details of the meeting were not made available to journalists, a reliable source told Sunday Tribune that the meeting deliberated on the 18-page letter written by the former Chairman PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), to President Goodluck Jonathan recently.

The source also informed Sunday Tribune that a meeting of the South-West caucus had preceded the larger meeting.  

He said the Ogun State caucus had first met and discussed the letter. “We commend Baba for the letter. We commend his courage and statesmanship. We align ourselves with the content of the letter.

“We note that Obasanjo not only criticises aspects of government, but also provides solutions. We appeal to the president and the national leadership of PDP to take heed and make adjustments where necessary.”

It was also gathered that Obasanjo had earlier briefed the meeting about the said letter he wrote to Jonathan.

Others at the larger meeting which ended at about 5.30pm were former secretary to Oyo State Government, Chief Olayiwola Olakojo; Chief Yomi Finnih; and factional chairman of Ogun PDP, Senator Dipo Odujinrin.

The meeting also had in attendance Professor Soji Adejumo, Chief Felix Ogunwale, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi, General Tunji Olurin (rtd) and many others.