BY VICTOR BUORO – Former Governor of Anambra State and presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi, on Monday visited former President, Goodluck Jonathan as part of his ongoing countrywide consultations on the state of the nation and 2027 general elections.
Obi led a high-powered delegation of South-East political leaders to meet the former President in a strategic, closed-door consultation at his Abuja residence.
The team included former Enugu State governor, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo; former Imo State governor, Chief Achike Udenwa, former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, Senator Victor Umeh, serving and former lawmakers, among others.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, the ADC chieftain hinted that their discussions with the elder Statesman generally focused on regional alignment, political strategy and consultations ahead of the 2027 polls.
He said: “Notable South-East leaders have come in consultation with our respected former president. That is basically what it is, on the 2027 elections and, overall, about Nigeria”.
According to him, President Jonathan wished Nigeria well and that there will be a free, fair and credible elections in 2027, adding that Nigeria cannot be turned into a one party state.
“He wished that we have free, fair, credible election. That would be his wish. There can’t be one party system. He cannot support such thing. Nobody can claim to be more of a democrat in this country. In terms of those who have led this country without putting him (Jonathan) as number one”, he said.
The former governor, who noted that Jonathan served the country faithfully and he was a democrat, said: “We, some notable South East leaders have come in consultation to our respected former President Goodluck Jonathan, That’s basically what it is. It is on 2027 elections and it is all about Nigeria.
“We are now seeing him (Jonathan) in the categories we have come to see former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former President Ibrahim Babangida and others, so that is the category we are seeing now.
“They are fathers now. They are not defecting. They are not involved. But we need to consult them, because especially someone like him (Jonathan) who served the country very faithfully, focused, and did what is expected in a democracy in this declining situation.”
On the issue of endorsement, Obi said, “we’re not talking about an endorsement yet. When I become a candidate, I’ll come back for endorsement. He wishes the country well. We are here to consult with him.”
Obi has been holding meetings with political heavyweights across the country as part of ongoing consultations ahead of the ADC presidential primary for the 2027 general elections.
According to his itinerary, the former Anambra governor had recently visited Bauchi with some South-East leaders, where they also held a closed-door meeting with Governor Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
After the meeting, Obi had also explained that it was part of efforts at building national unity and strengthening cooperation across different geo-political regions in the country.
Hear him: “My purpose is to solicit the support and cooperation of His Excellency and the stakeholders of Bauchi and the North-East in our quest to unite this country. We want to have a united country to build a future for our children.
“The country cannot continue the way it is today; we are headed in the wrong direction, and we need to reverse that for everybody.”
“That is the simple purpose of why we are here, to seek the support of the stakeholders of Bauchi in building a new Nigeria that will be of benefit to all”, the former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections told reporters in Bauchi.
