When will we stop hearing about this man called Obasanjo ? WHEN !
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo met at a secret location in Abuja on Wednesday night, THISDAY can report.
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Although THISDAY could not confirm the venue and details of the meeting, it was learnt that the talk did not take place at the Vice-President’s Akinola Aguda House residence in Aso Rock.
The meeting, which started before midnight and lasted for about three hours, afforded the immediate past president, who was instrumental to the Yar’Adua/Jonathan ticket in the 2007 presidential election, an opportunity to offer far-reaching advice to the Acting President.
Obasanjo flew into Abuja in a private jet around 8pm on the day. After the meeting ended around 2am yesterday, he flew out of Abuja an hour later.
An aide to Jonathan, who confirmed the meeting, said the Acting President was open to support and advice from all quarters, as he had already held meetings with other key stakeholders in the polity.
And the wheel of government, which had virtually been clogged with the power vacuum created by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s prolonged absence, is now running in full force as Jonathan yesterday swore in 17 new Federal Permanent Secretaries.
Jonathan also played host to principal officers of the Senate at his residence and promised to start sending executive communications to the National Assembly soon.
Jonathan became Acting President on Tuesday after the two chambers of the National Assembly passed resolutions empowering him to assume full presidential powers in the absence of Yar’Adua who left the country for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia on November 23 last year.
Meanwhile, the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Mike Aondoakaa, was also seen at the Abuja airport last night on his way out of the country.
He was said to be heading to somewhere in Europe “to rest” a day after he lost his high-profile job in a minor cabinet reshuffle.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, and three other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party left Abuja via London yesterday to brief Yar'Adua on the developments in Nigeria.
The decision of the leadership of the PDP to visit Yar'Adua in Saudi Arabia was taken after the NWC meeting with the principal officers of the National Assembly at the PDP office in Abuja.
Three governors, Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) and Gabriel Suswam (Benue) had left Nigeria for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to meet Yar'Adua.
The delayed swearing-in of the permanent secretaries had raised concerns as the Vice-President could not swear them in without full presidential powers and many ministries had been operating without the heads of bureaucracy for months.
The permanent secretaries, comprising three women and 14 men, had been selected since November last year through written and oral process but their swearing-in and assumption of office had been stalled until yesterday.
While receiving the principal officers of the Senate in an early morning visit, Jonathan assured them that the executive arm of government would continue to maintain cordial working relationship with the legislative arm of government.
He also thanked members of the National Assembly for their courage in moving the nation forward in spite of the heated debate occasioned by the President’s absence.
Senate President David Mark, who led the Senate leadership on the visit, prayed God to give Jonathan the courage and wisdom to lead the country in the right direction, assuring him that “we will join you to continue to pray for quick recovery for President Umaru Yar’Adua”.
Mark was accompanied by his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; the Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin; Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mahmud Kanti Bello; Senate Minority Leader, Senator Maina Maaji Lawan; Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olorunnibe Mamora; Minority Whip, Senator Ahmed Yerima; Deputy Majority Whip, Senator Mohammed Mana; and Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya.
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