To further buttress an exclusive report by The New Diplomat that the power-play, scheming ahead of the 2019 Presidential race has began in earnest, three former Nigerian leaders, Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) and Abdulsalami Abubakar met in Minna, capital of Niger state, recently.
Abubakar Bello, governor of Niger state, was said to have received Obasanjo at Minna airport and took him to IBB home.
The closest domestic and security staffs in the house of IBB were excused from the inner chamber at the time the meeting started.
The meeting was said to have lasted for over two hours.
According to investigations, the race for the 2019 presidential election was said to have been top of the agenda of the high-powered meeting.
Recall that, The New Diplomat weeks ago had broken the report that as the race towards the 2019 presidential elections hots up, high-heeled retired Army Generals who have held commanding and strategic positions in the nation’s political life are said to be concerned over a possible consensus candidate for the Presidency.
The New Diplomat investigations reveal that this is sequel to series of meetings held between the former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar wherein the latter pleaded with the former to not only back his presidential ambition, but also to help him reach out to top power brokers and retired generals in the nation’s political power equation to solicit their support and endorsement.
Among those retired generals who are reportedly being reached out to are former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Gen. Babangida, a former Chief of Army Staff, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma former National Security Adviser and erstwhile Minister of Defence, Gen Aliyu Gusau; former Minister of Police Affairs and erstwhile Military Governor of old Oyo State, General David Jemibewon; former Minister of Internal Affairs during the regime of General Buhari/Idiagbon and erstwhile Commander of Brigade of Guards, General Mohammadu Magoro.
This latest meeting is one of such high profile meetings expected to take place as the retired generals plan to pick a possible successor to ailing president Muhammadu Buhari.
