A former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has met with the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in London
It is the first such meeting involving Obasanjo, Obi, and Wike since the latter fell out with the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar after he picked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate for the general election.
The trio met on Thursday alongside Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, and former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, among others.
However, the belief was that the deliberations were part of the frantic moves on the possibility by the forces to build a rainbow coalition, weeks before the commencement on September 28, of the campaign for the forthcoming general election in the country.
The meetings came after the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, had on Monday night, met with the Rivers governor and his allies also in London.
Though details of the meeting among Obasanjo, Obi, and Wike were not disclosed, it was gathered that it was in connection with negotiations and alliances, ahead of the 2023 presidential election. Confirming the meeting, Chief Akin Osuntokun, former Political Adviser to Chief Obasanjo, told Vanguard that the leaders met in London.
Atiku and Wike had been in a frosty relationship as a result of the fallout of the PDP presidential primary and the choice of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the vice-presidential candidate of the party.
In a move aimed at dousing tension within the PDP, the PDP presidential candidate, also yesterday, warned his aides, close associates, and all-party stakeholders against making utterances capable of jeopardizing the ongoing peace process.