As the build up to the 2023 general election gathers momentum, three governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The meeting, which was held behind closed-door, took place in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, is coming days before the 2023 presidential primaries of the party.
Obasanjo met with Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and a former Cross River Governor, Donald Duke.
The governors arrived at Obasanjo’s Residence at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library at 6:40 pm and the meeting lasted for about an hour.
Speaking after the meeting, Wike said he led the PDP leaders to inform and seek the support of the former president on his presidential ambition.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the meeting, Obasanjo admitted that Wike informed him of his presidential bid.
Obasanjo described the country as a complex country but not difficult to manage if a “courageous leader is elected”.
He said “of course, Governor Nyesom Wike as a presidential aspirant with Governor of Oyo, Governor of Benue, former Governor of Cross River and former Deputy Senate President and former Minister to express to me the desire and of course I made the point that I have always made that, I have ceased to be a partisan politician, I don’t belong to any political party, but if politics is the welfare of the people, I cannot cease to be a politician because I must always seek the welfare of the people.
“And of course, you all know what the situation of Nigeria is and anybody who doesn’t know that, is either not a Nigerian or is not being truthful to himself or herself and we need, as I often said, no one individual can say yes I can do it because the situation Nigeria is today, we need all hands, all Nigerian hands on deck to restore Nigeria and that is what Governor Wike is saying to me.
“Courage, he doesn’t lack it, and if you have courage and you have the conviction to speak your mind, well you will have a saying in this part of the world that a person who speaks the truth all the time may not even get a mat spread for him because you will incur the displeasure of people, but you need the truth to be spoken and to get ourselves moved Nigeria on the path of unity.”
Responding, Wike said he has the courage and capacity to tame the nation’s insecurity if elected as President.
On the issue of zoning of the PDP presidential ticket, Wike said, “It’s not as if I am championing zoning, it’s provided in the constitution of PDP.
“Personal ambition will make us avoid or not do the right thing with impunity. But again, since they have decided there is no zoning, we are not running away, we have the capacity.