Presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu and the Labour Party (LP) continued their 2023 electoral preparations, yesterday, with visits to former president Olusegun Obasanjoand afrobeat singer, Femi Kuti respectively.
Tinubu arrived the Penthouse of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, in his chopper at about 1:09pm in company with some party leaders.
He was received by Governor Dapo Abiodun, former governor Gbenga Daniel, his predecessor, Segun Osoba, and other Ogun State government functionaries.
Tinubu had kept Obasanjo at arms length since 2015 when he escorted then APC candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, to the former head of state’s residence. He was also at the 78th birthday of the former president at Abeokuta in March 2015.
Yesterday’s meeting was believed to be in connection with ambition of Tinubu in the coming elections. Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker, House of Representatives; Ogun State governor; Bisi Akande, former interim chairman of APC, and Adeyeye Enitan, Ooni of Ife, were among those present at the meeting.
The APC flag-bearer did not speak to newsmen before proceeding to the MKO Abiola International Stadium to address party chieftains.
“The campaign has not started yet. I am just here to greet you and to say hello to you.
“May God bless Ogun; May God bless Nigeria and May God bless your children,” he prayed.
A few weeks ago, Obasanjo received Peter Obi, and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed. There have been rumours that Obasanjo is backing the LP candidate, and helping to recruit governors and other top leaders in the country to back the ticket.
Meanwhile, keen observers have described Obi’s visit to Kuti as damage control as there has been no-love-lost between the ace singer and the ‘Obidient Movement’ as supporters of the LP’s standard bearer are fondly known.
There had been reports that the musician allegedly described Obi’s supporters as ‘zombies’.
Femi had said: “How can you be ‘Obidient’ in this chaos? I am not Obidient. Tell me, at 60, why am I Obidient? You said I should be Obidient, sit down, be peaceful,” he said.
“Are you all okay in this country?,” Kuti was quoted to have allegedly said during a performance at the Shrine last Thursday night.
The musician, however, said he was misquoted and he never described the supporters as ‘zombies’. In a series of Tweets on Friday, Kuti said: “You are such liars. Of what benefit is it to the people when you take my words out of context like this?
“I said I’m too angry at my age to be obedient. Expressing I do not like the ‘term’. But if Peter Obi wins and actually changes the country better for all of us…”
But Obi assured Kuti that his ‘Obidient movement’ would base its campaign on issues rather than personality attacks.
He said his campaign would be based on everyday issues affecting Nigerians and Nigeria, adding that the recent controversy was not what the movement and his ambition stand for.
“I saw what my own brother, Femi, tweeted and I said no! that is not what the future and the society we want to build. We will lead a campaign based on issues that affect Nigerians and that is what I encourage everybody to do,” he said while addressing Femi in short video clip.