Obasanjo, Osunbor in secret talks

Taiwo Adisa, Abuja - 24.03.2008

Edo State governor, Professor Oserhiemen Osunbor and former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the weekend held secret talks following the March 20 nullification of the governor’s election by the election petition tribunal.

The governor, who was said to have moved to the former President’s Ota Farm in Ogun State on Saturday, held talks with Chief Obasanjo on his way to Abuja for a function. It was gathered that the governor believed he needed to brief Obasanjo on the developments in the state, especially on the rift between him and the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih.

The governor and loyalists of the former BOT chairman had held parallel congresses in the state leading to the emergence of two state chairmen for the party. It was also gathered the former president assured the governor that he was going to do all he could to ensure that justice was done in his case.

The former president was also said to have made enquiries on whether the governor suspected a collaboration between forces in the PDP with the opposition in his case, to which Osunbor was said to have responded negatively.

The governor, according to sources, told the former president that though there appeared a division within the party’s ranks in the state, he was sure that none of the PDP members wanted to lose the governor’s seat to the opposition.

The former president had insisted on Osunbor as the PDP candidate last year after Chief Anenih had endorsed Senator Odion Ugbesia. Obasanjo was said to have hinged his support for Osunbor as a payback for his in-laws, relations of his late wife, Stella, who is related to Osunbor.