Controversial Letter: Presidency, PDP Plans Counter Offensive Against Obasanjo

The presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party have started plans to wage a counter offensive against former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the letter he wrote to President Goodluck Jonathan accusing him condoning corruption and engaging in acts  that were capable of destroying the country.

Some of the  aides of the President, headed by  his  Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Ogiadomhe, met at the Presidential Villa with Vice-President Namadi Sambo,    the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar; and the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP,  Chief Olisa Metuh.

The other aides in attendance at the meeting which took place in Sambo’s office were the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak;  the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe;  the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Umar Sani.

Sambo, Maku and Umar later left others to attend a scheduled meeting inside one of the conference halls in the vice-president’s office while others moved to Oghiadomhe’s office to continue their consultation.

A source privy to the meeting said they discussed how best the Presidency would respond to Obasanjo’s letter.

It was gathered that the meeting by the presidential aide was approved by Jonathan, who, according to our   source, was rattled by the publication of the letter by the media.

They also discussed the way to handle the backlash arising from the letter and how to  reach out to those that Obasanjo sent copies of the letter to.

One of the decisions reached at the meeting was that “a high-powered” delegation  be sent to  Abubakar, Babangida, Ekwueme and Danjuma   to explain   Jonathan’s angle to the issues raised by Obasanjo.

It was gathered that the team would leave for Minna, Niger State “soon,”  to  meet with Abubakar and Babangida.

Our source said there were reports that Babangida was also planning to write his own letter to the President, asking him to forget his second term ambition.

The source said, “The two meetings are aimed at dousing tension created by Obasanjo’s letter.

“We will meet those he copied in his letter and explain our points to them before deciding on the next line of action. We know the security and political implications of the letter. So, we don’t have to leave anything to chance.”

The source added that the President might  personally  reply  Obasanjo   in writing.

He said, “Chief Obasanjo has said that the President refused to reply his earlier letters. He will get his reply this time round. When the President said he would personally respond to the charges, he did not mean that he would address a press conference for instance. What he will do is to write the former President.”

When asked if the President’s letter would be made public,   he replied, “When we reach that bridge, we will cross it. For now, the response is still being compiled.”

Shortly after the meeting, Sambo also met behind closed doors   with the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih.

At the end of the meeting, Anenih, who refused to speak with journalists, also had discussions with the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

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