In his determination to unseat President Muhammadu Buhari at all costs, former President Olusegun Obasanjo Saturday met with leaders of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, and other political leaders in the South West on the way forward for Nigeria.
The meeting, which was held behind closed-doors at the Lekki residence of the Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, lasted for almost two hours.
Those at the meeting included a former governor of Ogun and the Director-General of Atiku Campaign Organisation, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; a former governor of Ondo, Dr Olusegun Mimiko and Chief Kenny Martins.
Others included Sen. Femi Okunrounmu, Chief Oyewole Fashawe, Akin Oshuntokun and Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu.
Also at the meeting were Prof. Banji Akintoye; Dr Amos Akingba, as well as Afenifere Secretary, Mr Yinka Odumakin.
Obasanjo, clad in a navy blue Agbada, however declined to speak with newsmen after the meeting.
But the Afenifere leader, Adebanjo, told newsmen that the meeting was about strengthening unity in Yoruba land ahead of the 2019 general elections and beyond.
He said that there was the need for elders and leaders in the region to cast their differences aside and stand as one to chart a new course for the country.
“The meeting was nothing more than the fact that Nigeria must move forward.
“There must be unity to destroy mediocrity and dictatorship.
“What is important is that we have our common goal. We are not endorsing candidates yet. We must agree and be united first, and that is what we are trying to achieve.
“If you are not united, you cannot achieve anything. And that primarily was the essence of the meeting,” he said.
Adebanjo said the leaders at the meeting had fruitful discussions on the way forward for the Yorubas and the country, describing the meeting as an achievement.
Convener of Save Nigeria Group, Pastor Tunde Bakare, said the meeting was about the way forward for the country at these critical times.
He explained that he and others met on fashioning the way forward for the country.
Bakare said that since it was a closed-door meeting, he would not provide details.
Asked if it was not strange sitting with Obasanjo whom he had always criticised, he said his criticisms of Obasanjo was not borne out of animosity but how to do things right.