President Goodluck Jonathan and former president Olugesun Obasanjo have been at loggerheads for some time now.
On Monday, their rift took a different dimension as Obasanjo in a very dramatic manner dumped the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), tearing up his membership card.
Seems like Jonathan is set for a showdown as there are indications that the presidency may move against ex-President by revisiting the probe of the $13.278billion power projects which were executed between 1999 and 2007 when Obasanjo was in office.
According to The Nation report, some forces in the Presidency and the PDP have been working round the clock on how to subject Obasanjo to ridicule.
It was gathered that the 2009 report of the House of Representatives Committee on Power and Steel on the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) had been retrieved by the forces in order to hang something on Obasanjo.
A highly-placed source, who craved anonymity said: “For his daring attacks on President Jonathan, some forces in the Presidency and PDP are out for vengeance.
“They are plotting to revisit how $13.278billion was spent on power projects between 1999 and 2007. They said there is a subsisting report of the House of Representatives on the wastage in the power sector.
“They said they want to demonstrate the government’s further commitment to the anti-corruption campaign by revisiting the NIPP projects.
“They are also placing Obasanjo under surveillance because they believe he is allegedly up to something against the government. That is their perception. They have accused him of allegedly promoting the ING idea which Obasanjo’s camp has denied.”
However, some PDP chieftains are said not to be in support of any move against Obasanjo, because they believe it will further heat up the polity and portray the party in bad light.
A leader of the party was quoted as saying: “There are moves to demystify Obasanjo in one way or the other, but it might backfire. For instance, the House report on the NIPP recommended the investigation of 18 people, some of whom are loyalists of President Jonathan. Some of them include Governor Liyel Imoke; the late Governor Olusegun Agagu; ex-Minister of State for Energy, Alhaji Abdulahamid Ahmed; a former MD of PHCN, Mr. Joseph Makoju; the CEO of TCN, Engr. G.O.P Osakue; Head Transmission, TCN, Engr. Dr. C.E. Ifesie; AGM, Lines, Engr. Mike Ezeudenna; the Chairman of the Technical Committee and General Project Manager, Engr. C. N.O. Nwachukwu; Deputy Chairman, Technical Committee, Engr. I. Onuoha; and the MD, NDPHC/NIPP, Mr. J. A. Olotu, among others.
“If they single out Obasanjo, it may become a scandal for the PDP government because many people will be rubbished.”
One of the daughters of Obasanjo is reportedly under investigation already over alleged deals with a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Presidency during the same period.
A source claimed that the Presidency has drawn a battle line against Obasanjo by placing one of his daughters under surveillance over the alleged deals.
The source said: “The deals involving the daughter of the ex-president at the NNPC subsidiary and the Presidency are allegedly worth $300,000 per month. We don’t know why the girl is now being subjected to investigation because her father criticized the President.”
Apparently, aware of the moves, the immediate past governor of Osun State and former National Secretary of the PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola has warned Jonathan’s aides casting aspersions on Obasanjo, adding that they should leave him alone.
Recall that following Obasnjo’s dramatic exit, the Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, had hinted that the party will go and beg the former president to return and forgive whatever wrong doing the grand children may have committed.
On Monday, their rift took a different dimension as Obasanjo in a very dramatic manner dumped the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), tearing up his membership card.
Seems like Jonathan is set for a showdown as there are indications that the presidency may move against ex-President by revisiting the probe of the $13.278billion power projects which were executed between 1999 and 2007 when Obasanjo was in office.
According to The Nation report, some forces in the Presidency and the PDP have been working round the clock on how to subject Obasanjo to ridicule.
Obasanjo Vs Jonathan
A highly-placed source, who craved anonymity said: “For his daring attacks on President Jonathan, some forces in the Presidency and PDP are out for vengeance.
“They are plotting to revisit how $13.278billion was spent on power projects between 1999 and 2007. They said there is a subsisting report of the House of Representatives on the wastage in the power sector.
“They said they want to demonstrate the government’s further commitment to the anti-corruption campaign by revisiting the NIPP projects.
“They are also placing Obasanjo under surveillance because they believe he is allegedly up to something against the government. That is their perception. They have accused him of allegedly promoting the ING idea which Obasanjo’s camp has denied.”
However, some PDP chieftains are said not to be in support of any move against Obasanjo, because they believe it will further heat up the polity and portray the party in bad light.
A leader of the party was quoted as saying: “There are moves to demystify Obasanjo in one way or the other, but it might backfire. For instance, the House report on the NIPP recommended the investigation of 18 people, some of whom are loyalists of President Jonathan. Some of them include Governor Liyel Imoke; the late Governor Olusegun Agagu; ex-Minister of State for Energy, Alhaji Abdulahamid Ahmed; a former MD of PHCN, Mr. Joseph Makoju; the CEO of TCN, Engr. G.O.P Osakue; Head Transmission, TCN, Engr. Dr. C.E. Ifesie; AGM, Lines, Engr. Mike Ezeudenna; the Chairman of the Technical Committee and General Project Manager, Engr. C. N.O. Nwachukwu; Deputy Chairman, Technical Committee, Engr. I. Onuoha; and the MD, NDPHC/NIPP, Mr. J. A. Olotu, among others.
“If they single out Obasanjo, it may become a scandal for the PDP government because many people will be rubbished.”
One of the daughters of Obasanjo is reportedly under investigation already over alleged deals with a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Presidency during the same period.
A source claimed that the Presidency has drawn a battle line against Obasanjo by placing one of his daughters under surveillance over the alleged deals.
The source said: “The deals involving the daughter of the ex-president at the NNPC subsidiary and the Presidency are allegedly worth $300,000 per month. We don’t know why the girl is now being subjected to investigation because her father criticized the President.”
Apparently, aware of the moves, the immediate past governor of Osun State and former National Secretary of the PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola has warned Jonathan’s aides casting aspersions on Obasanjo, adding that they should leave him alone.
Recall that following Obasnjo’s dramatic exit, the Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, had hinted that the party will go and beg the former president to return and forgive whatever wrong doing the grand children may have committed.
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