In what appeared like renewed re-alignment, former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday evening visited ex- President Goodluck Jonathan in his country home in Otuoke, Bayelsa State.
Obasanjo had earlier in the day arrived Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital on a 3-day visit at the instance of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson who was marking his six years anniversary as Bayelsa governor.
Obasanjo, accompanied by Governor Dickson, proceeded to Otuoke to the warmth embrace of Jonathan and his wife, Patience, after he performed commissioning of various projects, including a specialists’ hospital and a drug distribution centre in the state capital.
This was the first time Obasanjo was in Otuoke since the aftermath of 2015 general elections in which he practically opposed the re-emergence of Jonathan of the PDP in favour of then candidate Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.
Analysts had posited that beyond the Dickson celebrations, Obasanjo was reaching out to “old foes” as he “unleashed grand offensive against the candidature of the purported second term bid of President Buhari.”
In his lengthy letter to Buhari in January this year, Obasanjo had tactically portrayed Jonathan as somewhat “born-again” politician.
“Even the horse rider then (Jonathan), with whom I maintain very cordial, happy and social relationship today, has come to realise his mistakes and regretted it publicly and I admire his courage and forthrightness in this regard.
“He has a role to play on the side line for the good of Nigeria, Africa and humanity and I will see him as a partner in playing such a role nationally and internationally, but not as a horse rider in Nigeria again,” Obasanjo said.
Though details of Obasanjo’s today’s meeting with Jonathan had not been made public, analysts believed it might not be far from selling the ideas behind his Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) which he described as an alternative to both the APC and PDP.