The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Adewole Adebayo, on Friday night held a closed-door meeting with former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Adebayo, who was accompanied by the leaders of the party, met Obasanjo at his penthouse residence in the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.
Adebayo also held separate meetings with the Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, and the Olubara of Ibara, Oba Jacob Omolade, at their palaces in Abeokuta.
The closed-door meeting with Obasanjo lasted for about two hours.
Obasanjo had two weeks ago endorsed the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as his preferred candidate.
The SDP candidate told newsmen after the visit that the meeting with Obasanjo “was more of a family visit and not political nature.”
When asked on how he felt about the endorsement of Obi by Obasanjo, Adebayo said he was not bothered by the former president’s endorsement of Obi, saying Obasanjo has the right to do so.
He said, “We looked at him as a (former) Head of State. He is a Nigerian. He is also a free person who has the right to go with anybody. So, we don’t feel that way. The election is still far.
“The essence of democracy is getting people to change their minds by talking to people. Even when we win the election, we still have to negotiate with Nigerians. You still have to get the people who are not on your side to be on your side. So, it is a continuous exercise. We don’t have any problem at all.”
Addressing his loyalists during the Flag off of the presidential and governorship campaigns at the Ake palace ground in Abeokuta on Saturday, Adebayo ruled out working with the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
He described the leading political parties as confused.
Adebayo admitted that some candidates may step down for one another, but, foreclosed alliance with other presidential candidates.
He said, “You can take this to the bank, we will never work with APC or PDP. Nobody who loves Nigeria at this time will want those people the way they looked confused, to come back at all. APC is a confused party.
“And I am not saying it as an insult, they are confused. They are in power and they are saying they are going to change the government when they are in power.
“PDP will never repent. God doesn’t mind sinners, but the job of sinners is to repent.
“If you were in government for 16 years and you have been out of federal power for eight years, and you are still sluggish as before, as fraudulent as before, as deceptive before, as comical as before, then you never change.”
Speaking on alliance with Peter Obi, he said “Let me make it very clear, when I mentioned APC and PDP, it includes Peter Obi because he still PDP. He is just borrowing Labour Party for one week.”
(Punch)
