President Muhammadu Buhari and former president, Olusegun Obasanjo embraced each other, yesterday, when they met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the opening session of the 30th African Union summit.
This came five days after Obasanjo issued a scathing “special press release” asking Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019.
They shook hands and, although they spoke for about two minutes, their encounter caused excitement inside the Nelson Mandela Hall.
Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, alongside other members of the Nigerian delegation smiled as they watched from a distance.
Similarly, photojournalists scrambled to take shots of the moment.
Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state, later joined Buhari and Obasanjo for photographs.
Although the Federal Government said it took Obasanjo’s admonition in good faith, it however warned the elder statesman against distracting Buhari.
In a statement, by minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the FG said Buhari’s focus at the moment is to fulfil the mandate which Nigerians gave to him.
“On whether or not President Muhammadu Buhari should run for another term, it is true that many Nigerians have been calling on the President to run again, while others are opposed to his return,” the statement read.
…millions of people will join APC in few months – Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has said millions of people from all parts of the country will join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next few months.
Buhari said this in a letter he sent to a former senator, who recently defected to APC from the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Basheer Mohammed.
The letter dated January 25, 2018, and titled ‘Re: Declaration for APC’, was a response to an earlier one written by Mohammed.
“I was most delighted to receive your letter informing me of your impending decision to formally declare for our great party, APC,” read Buhari’s letter.
“Furthermore, I am very encouraged to learn that you are bringing thousands of new supporters into the fold. We are expecting millions to join us in the next few months.
“I would have very much welcomed another opportunity to be in Kano but due to a conflict of engagements, I am due on that day in Addis Ababa for an important African Union meeting which was scheduled months ago.
“I hope I shall have the pleasure of welcoming you to the Presidential Villa in the near future. I wish the event turns out to be a resounding success.”
Buhari is yet to publicly declare for the 2019 election but there are clear indications that he would run. Last week, his campaign office was inaugurated in Ibadan, Oyo state capital.
