In an undisguised anti-party activity, former President and immediate past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ruling Peoples Democratic party (PDP), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, last night openly flirted with the country’s leading opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Obasanjo did not host APC leaders but also publicly heaped praises on the party which has vowed to dislodge PDP from the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in 2015.

The meeting held at Obasanjo’s Hilltop Mansion in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, started about seven hours late due to the late arrival of APC National Leader, former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi. The visitors started arriving at around 5:22 p.m. and the meeting started at about 5.55 p.m., lasting about 30 minutes before going into a closed-door session.

Though Obasanjo rejected the APC membership card offered him by Buhari, he was full of praises for the party and prayed for its success. Below are excerpts of his remarks:

“You don’t need to offer me your party card, I am card-carrying member of the PDP (shows his card), I will take it from you out of courtesy, but I won’t fill it.

“My party is PDP, my politics is Nigeria, Africa and the world in that order.

“I am a democrat, one of the essential ingredients of democracy is opposition party; democracy that has no opposition is questionable.

“If you see yourself as opposition, you are essentially enhancing the chances of democracy in this country.”

In his remarks, APC National Leader, former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu said they came to tap from Obasanjo’s wisdom as former military ruler and president.

“No one is unique as yourself, you have seen the tribulations; you have witnessed the agony of totalitarianism and sectarian crisis. Your experience in solitary confinement puts you in good stead to speak and act in the interest of the country,” Tinubu said.

Apart from the party’s Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, Buhari and Tinubu, other party leaders on the entourage included governors of Rivers, Rotimi Amaechi; Imo, Rochas Okorocha; Ogun, Ibikunle Amosun; Oyo, Abiola Ajimobi; Adamawa, Murtala Nyako; Kwara, Abdulfatai Ahmed; Kano, Rabiu Kwankwaso,

Others were Nuhu Ribadu, Former FCT Minister, Nasir El-Rufai; Senator Bukola Saraki; former PDP chairman, Kawu Baraje; and former House of Representatives Speaker, Bello Masari.

•Photo shows the APC leaders with Obasanjo . . . yesterday night in Abeokuta.

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