Posted by By FEMI BABAFEMI on
As part of alignment of forces against the third term agenda, four former heads of state have met to consider the implication of the plot for the nation's survival.
As part of alignment of forces against the third term agenda, four former heads of state have met to consider the implication of the plot for the nation's survival.
The secret meeting held at the Minna home of General Ibrahim Babangida had in attendance Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the host. Only Gen. Mohammadu Buhari was absent at the meeting which had an agenda to mobilise against on-going attempts to elongate the tenure of President Obasanjo beyond May 29, 2007.
The Presidency has, however, said it would lose no sleep over the meeting held on March 30 when President Obasanjo was away in the United States of America (USA).
Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, told Daily Sun: "I don't think anybody should lose any sleep over the fact that people are meeting. Most of the people there are people who have direct access to the president and I am sure whatever they have to discuss in secret, they can discuss it with the President directly."
Daily Sun sources said that the parley of the former heads of state was hurriedly packaged and held while President Obasanjo was on a state visit to the United States of America(USA).
Organised at the instance of former military ruler, Gen. Babangida, the meeting was said to have considered the drift towards dictatorship in the country, the tension in the land and the controversial third term agenda of President Obasanjo.
Daily Sun gathered that the Presidency is not taking the parley lightly as all state machinery have been rolled out to get the details of discussions at the meeting, especially the contributions of each person.
"Whatever discussion took place was the business of those at the meeting and the Presidency is not inclined towards according such secret meeting any importance or response," Fani-Kayode said in a telephone interview with Daily Sun.
As the nation's security network intensifies efforts to get adequate evidence on the meeting, Daily Sun learnt that the move by the former heads of state to thwart attempts to plunge the country into a major crisis through the third term plot has become an issue of concern to top government officials in the Presidency, and some selected chieftains of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
"For now, we are maintaining silence on the meeting until all the details are confirmed and after they are confirmed, we can then take a position," the presidential spokesman explained.
While dismissing the significance of the meeting to the aspiration of President Obasanjo, Fani-Kayode said: "the President has not made any decision on third term, one way or the other. The President is at present focussed on moving the country forward. For now, we won't answer hypothetical questions on third term, when we get to the bridge, we will cross it, while we wait for the National Assembly to finish its work."