By Adeola Pascal
With less than three weeks to the nation's presidential election, former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday, hosted a closed-door meeting with the national leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) who paid him a courtesy visit at his Penthouse residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.
Led by its National Chairman, Chief Ralp Nwosu and Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Mani Ibrahim, the team, which included all members of the party's National Working Committee (NWC), arrived Abeokuta around 10: 30a.m and headed straight into a meeting with the former president.
Welcoming the ADC stalwarts, Obasanjo said, the global community, particularly the West African countries of Ghana, Togo and Cote d'Ivoire are concerned about what will be the outcome of the forthcoming general elections from Nigeria.
Obasanjo, who said he just returned from an official engagement in West African tour, declared that Nigerians must strives towards giving their best and ensure that the forthcoming general elections hold.
He explained that the attention of the global communities focuses on the forthcoming general elections in Nigeria and therefore, Nigerians as main stakeholders should contribute towards the success of the elections.
"As you rightly said, we are in a critical period in Nigeria. In less than three weeks, we will be going to the poll to elect our leaders that will pilot the affairs of this country for the next four years from May and I hope nothing intervenes".
"I was in Togo, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire from the beginning of the week and from there, they are concerned about what happens in Nigeria as every Nigerian know. Before I left Abidjan, President Alassane Quattara of Cote d'Ivoire was telling me about a position that Cote d'Ivoire is fighting for and he told me that "we are putting it on hold until after Nigeria's elections".
"So, even for them, Nigeria's elections is of utmost importance".
"My belief is that for us, who are directly involved, we cannot take it any less important. Therefore, I understand why you are here".
"You're also here as a family. We are all in Nigeria, we are a family and therefore, when we gather together, we can always discuss as members of the same Nigeria family. But what is of concern to Nigeria and on that note, we will now go on and talk as a member of the Nigerian family".
Speaking earlier, the BoT Chairman, Mani and former presidential aspirant of the party, Chukwuka Money disclosed that they had visited Obasanjo to seek his guidance, particularly when the party has no compass to navigate its way through.
They duo of Mani and Monye emphasized that Obasanjo's fountain of wisdom would continue to be relevant owing to his status as an elder statesman.
Briefing newsmen after a closed-door meeting with Obasanjo, the party's BoT Chairman, Mani Ibrahim, said
"we are in Abeokuta to see former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on the need for us to have consultations as a party, with a statesman like him as it affects the fortunes of our party and certain realignment that we are likely to unfold as it affects elections coming up on the 25th of this month".
"He has always being a very strong pillar in our party. We have taking lots of guidance from him which has helped us in the past to whether certain storm in our history".
"As we are all aware, not only the country but also our party can be considered to be at the crossroad. When you are at crossroad, it is important that you make the right decisions so that you move in the correct direction, that is part of the wider consultation that has brought members of the Board of Trustees, the National Working Committee, some of the candidates of our party to have this discussion with His Excellency".
"It is an ongoing process, the situation is still fluid, but we are hopeful that within the next two to three days, and through other series of meetings that we continue on this basis, we should be able to say clearly what the final decision is as to the direction of our party is taking in the next general elections".
Answering question on merger with another party, Mani said, "the time for merger under the present electoral act is over. What we can look at is how to pool strength together, how to collaborate and how to work as unifying front in order to face the elections. Mind you, this is one election in Nigeria that is going to be like none other like we have experienced in the past and as such, one cannot underrate the influence this type of discussion we have had today will bring to the outcome of the election at the end of the day".
"We have not come to a definitive decision on that yet, but clearly, our party is looking at the possibility of coming up with an arrangement that will allow us to announce what type of collaboration we are going to have with any party, be it Labour Party or otherwise".
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