2019: Bode George leads Secondus, others to Obasanjo

Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, on Saturday, led the party’s national leadership to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
With George during the visit were PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Walid Jibrin, National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, and 18 others.
Venue of the breakfast meeting was the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.
Members of the National Working Committee (NWC) were full of praises for the former president “for receiving us”.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation and the party, Secondus made four key submissions: apology to the former president for the bad conduct and mistreatment of him by the PDP, the distress and prostrate situation of the country today, the progress of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on grand alliance of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and an appeal for the former President not to be tired with giving leadership advice to save the country. 

In response, Obasanjo thanked them for their visit and their briefing and urged them to pay attention to four issues that are needed to bring PDP back to national reckoning.
In addition, Obasanjo thanked them for apologising on behalf of the party and made reference to the Lord’s Prayer “where we are taught to ask God for forgiveness and to grant forgiveness to others”.
He further underlined the pitiable situation of Nigeria, the inexcusable killing and insecurity almost all over the country and the unprecedented division of the country “all of which the present government seems to have no credible solution”.
After deliberations, it was made clear that the MoU for grand alliance is what it says, a grand alliance. It is not a merger nor an absorption of any political party by any political party. It is clearly for the parties who agreed to be members of the alliance to work together to achieve one important common objective at the national level for the election of 2019 and where it is appropriate and necessary, members may also form alliance and cooperation at the state level.

Obasanjo reiterated to the delegation that the idea of a grand alliance was broached when the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) adopted African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a political party platform.
He, therefore, reaffirmed his belief and support for the grand alliance. 
Obasanjo, however, advised that the individuality and independence of each political party must be observed and respected by all parties concerned.
“It is also desirable that in the process of implementing the MoU to achieve the set objective, solidarity and focus on the objective must be maintained”.
Obasanjo urged that all member political parties must be cautious of fake news, rumours, blackmail, and seeds of discord that may be sown among them from external quarters. 
The former president reminded the committee that on adoption of ADC as political party of the CNM, he had maintained that he will not be a member of any political party but he will make himself available to guide any party that wishes to be so guided and he has offered such guidance to ADC.
While he may make himself available to any other party that will require it, service to ADC will be paramount, said Obasanjo.
He equally pointed out to the delegation that he would “join men and women in the country in retrieving and saving the country from a shipwreck”.