PDP Chairman's Peace Talks With Obasanjo Failed

Strong indications have emerged that efforts by the troubled Peoples Democratic Party to make ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to have a rethink on his decision to stay away from the party’s activities have failed.

 “Baba (Obasanjo) is still insisting on issues he raised in his two letters, particularly the restructuring of the party. He had said that he would withdraw from the party’s activities, until grievances he mentioned in the letter to the PDP and the President are addressed. 

“On Jonathan’s purported second (or third) term ambition, Obasanjo stated that nothing had changed from what he wrote in the letter to the President because it is a matter of honour.”

Investigations by Punch on Thursday showed that Obasanjo insisted when the new PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu visited him on January 26, 2015, that Jonathan must honour his alleged promise in 2011 not to contest the 2015 presidential election.

A very reliable PDP national officer confided in Punch that Obasanjo also gave other conditions that the new leadership of the party must meet before he would have a change of mind.

They include the restructuring of the party as well as the correction of the anomalies relating to the removal of Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the national secretary of the PDP and Bode Mustapha as national auditor in 2013.
Mu’azu was reported to have, during the closed-door meeting in Abeokuta, pleaded with Obasanjo to back the President’s alleged 2015 interest and other activities of the ruling party.

Our source said that Obasanjo told Mu’azu bluntly to address the core issues in PDP if things must change.

Obasnjo had in the letter to the President said, “Only a fool would believe that statement you made to me judging by what is going on. I must say that is not ingenious. You may wish to pursue a more credible and more honourable path.”
The ex-President added that in 2011, Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswan, informed him that Jonathan had accepted a one-term Presidency and it was on that basis he supported Jonathan.