Prof. Ango Abdullahi, spokesman for the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, has met Ex-President, Olusegun Obasanjo in preparation for 2019 general elections.
It was gathered that the meeting between the NEF leader and Chief Obasanjo, was meant to agree on a possible consensus candidate.
And the meeting’s agenda was focused on suitable candidate from the North that is capable of influencing large vote; two other members of the Northern Forum were in attendance.
An anonymous source revealed that the meeting was part of NEF moves to unite elders of the six geopolitical zones in the country to present a common front in the 2019 presidential election.
The source said that gathered that the participants discussed the future of the country under a dynamic leader and how the NEF could partner other stakeholders across the country to ensure the election of a new candidate other than President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Ango Abdullahi actually visited Obasanjo in Abeokuta along with two other men. Their discussion, as you rightly guessed, bordered on the 2019 elections and the need to field a dynamic candidate who would be acceptable to the North and other regions of the country because the North is no longer comfortable with the current leadership.”
“He met with Obasanjo and Afenifere as part of the efforts to save this country. They discussed 2019 elections and the recent killings which have mostly affected Nigerians living in the North.
“I think there is a general agreement that things are not going fine and something needs to be done because both North and South are feeling the effects of the bad governance.”
Explaining why the group met with Chief Obasanjo, the spokesman of NEF, Abdullahi said it was based on consultations.
“I just wanted to see him (Obasanjo). Before then, I also met with elders of Afenifere; it is already in the papers.”
Asked what the essence of the meeting was, he simply said, “Consultations.”
“I am not. I did in the past when I was much younger. I am an old man now. I don’t think I can stand the rigours of the office of the President. I have passed that age now. We are just making consultations around the country.”
“Yes, it does. A lot of things were discussed including 2019; we talked about all sorts of things that have to do with the security of Nigeria and all that. Thank you.”
