The former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel, have reconciled their differences.
The reconciliation came as the South-west zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday raised a five-man peace and reconciliation committees in each of the states in the zone with a pledge by the Chairman of the South-west management committee of the party, Chief Ishola Filani, that total reconciliation was achievable by the party in the region.
THISDAY gathered that Obasanjo and Daniel had resolved to put their differences behind them for the sake of the party ahead of the 2015 elections.
THISDAY checks revealed that a cousin of the former president, Alhaji Sheu Oladunjoye, led some party stalwarts in the state, including Chief Niyi Adegbenro, former Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Joju Fadairo, Mr. Tony Ojeshina, Mrs. Labo Ogunsan, Hon. Okanlawon Soboyede and some other party members to Obasanjo Hilltop residence in Abeokuta recently where the peace was brokered.
Confirming the reconciliation, Oladunjoye told journalists Tuesday that pressure was mounted on Obasanjo by some of them on the need to forgive those he had issues with in the party.
According to Oladunjoye, Obasanjo quoted the Gospel of Luke, chapter seven, Verse 47 to buttress his genuine desire to forgive all those who trespassed against him in Ogun PDP before and during the 2011 general election.
But the Daniel’s camp disclosed that the former governor would soon visit Obasanjo where the whole issue would be discussed.
Oladunjoye, however, said Obasanjo said he had genuinely forgiven Daniel and all the people he had issues with in Ogun PDP.
“It took the grace of God and unrelenting efforts of Chief Niyi Adegbenro and myself to persuade Baba Obasanjo to bury the hatchet and allow the storm ravaging Ogun PDP to calm down.
“Chief Obasanjo then gave them his word and quoted from the Bible that he has forgiven all those he had issues with in the party and he was now ready to do business with them again in the interest of PDP and Nigeria as a whole, after explaining what some of them did to him which pained him seriously.”
Meanwhile, Filani, who fielded questions from journalists shortly after inaugurating the committees, said they have between three days and one week within which to conclude their work.
He explained that the date for the terms of reference was meant for the committees to work on the existing template with the party for reconciliation in the region.
Filani argued that the party carefully chose the committees members so that the party could tap from their wealth of political experiences.
He maintained that the party was aware that there were issues to be sorted out in the region.
“We have lots of confidence in the men. They are people of enormous goodwill. They will assist the zone with their goodwill,” he said.
The PDP chieftain stated that the party believed that a lot has happened in the zone in the past, hinting that if the party lost three states in the region to judicial tsunami, it lost other states to intra-party differences.
Filani tasked the committees to listen to all the warring forces in the intra-party crisis and recommend the cure for the perceived differences.
“If total reconciliation can be assured, no problem. They should study the political atmosphere in each state and look into the possibility of the party being reconciled,” he noted.
JD:We have seen this happen before but the peace between these two men had always been bridged. Amosun used this to his advantage to win the election that brought him to office.It appears the issues between them have gone beyond political as personality and ego seems to be way ahead in terms of consideration.
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