According to Sunday Tribune, it emerged at the weekend that recent outbursts by former President Olusegun Obasanjo against President Goodluck Jonathan stemmed from the latter’s refusal to implement a proposal from the former president in respect of the 2015 elections.
Sources in Abuja told Sunday Tribune that the former president had sent emissaries and also whispered to Jonathan that he would back his 2015 ambition if he (Jonathan) agreed to drop Vice-President Namadi Sambo as his running mate.
It was gathered that the former president had spoken in favour of Jonathan fielding Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, as his running mate.
A source confirmed that some common friends of the former president and Jonathan who attempted to talk Obasanjo into dropping his opposition against the president were told that he (Jonathan) had to agree to drop Sambo as his running mate.
It was also confirmed that the former president had confirmed the proposal at a recent encounter between him and Jonathan.
A source said the president was told that he would be on the same page with Obasanjo, if he agreed to pick Lamido as his running mate in 2015 and dropped Sambo.
Sources spoken to by Sunday Tribune also confirmed the development, saying that Jonathan was, however, non-committal.
“The president could not give Obasanjo any affirmative answer, because he believes that the request was uncalled for,” a source said.
Sources also told Sunday Tribune that Jonathan believed that dropping Sambo would open a new fiat of trouble for his camp.
“You don’t try and solve a problem and create another in the process,” a source said, adding that Sambo had worked assiduously with Jonathan without frictions.
Source: Sunday Tribune