President Muhammadu Buhari with former President, Olusegun Obasanjo at the AU Summit |
The
coincidental encounter between President
Muhammadu Buhari and
ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo at the ongoing African Union summit in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has continued to attract comments on the social
media.
Their encounter marked the first time both men met since the
controversial special press statement by Mr. Obasanjo criticising Mr.
Buhari’s administration and advising him not to seek re-election in
2019.
Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, in a pictorial report posted on his Facebook page on Sunday,
confirmed the face-to-face meeting between Buhari and Obasanjo.
He posted a group photograph of Buhari, Obasanjo, former Head of
State Abdulsalami Abubakar and some serving cabinet ministers who are on
Mr. Buhari’s entourage during the opening ceremony of the 30th Ordinary
Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African
Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday.
Messrs Buhari and Obasanjo met briefly before the opening ceremony of
the 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and
Government of the African Union (AU).
Mr. Obasanjo first went round to exchange pleasantries with other
African leaders attending the summit, before looking out for Mr. Buhari
among the crowd to also have a word with him.
“Their brief pleasantries became a sensation inside the Nelson
Mandela Hall as photojournalists made frantic efforts to capture the
moment,” a reporter covering the event stated.
However, some social media commentators expressed mixed feelings over
the encounter as Obasanjo had stirred up controversies in Nigeria when
he released the 13-page statement accusing Mr. Buhari of
under-performance and therefore should not seek re-election in 2019.
Aliyu Ahmed said: “Buhari is too busy to allow the likes of OBJ to
distract or intimidate him. He is too busy cleaning the mess hipped on
Nigeria and Nigerians by the likes of row and unpolished OBJ (Obasanjo).
Eleligbo Nnamdi posted: “OBJ would not have allowed someone who
openly criticised him few days ago to have access to him the way Buhari
just did… PMB is my role model and I pray God to extend his reign till
2023. I love him with passion and I owe nobody any apology for that.”
Mr. Nnamdi further warned that “PMB should beware of OBJ..He’s a
desperate politician and can do anything to have his way come 2019. Pls
ooo prevention is better than cure. God pls protect PMB from evil
men.amen.’’
Robert Amedu wrote: “One of my late leaders, Engr Andrew Agom, former
MD Nigeria Airways once advised me that I should never join issues when
all these power brokers are quarelling with themselves politically, if
not, when they settle, you become the scapegoat. This is the type and
people must be very careful.’’
On his part, Abubakar Sadiq Suleiman posted: “In two years, the
Obasanjo administration had zero achievements to show for – other than a
crumbling economy, and a weak security apparatus that relied on
military officers to destroy entire villages and massacre innocent
families like we saw in Odi, Bayelsa. We have not quickly forgotten.’’
Nsofor Victor Harmony, however, bashed both Messrs Buhari and
Obasanjo when he posted: “Look at old men leading our country as if we
are running a monarch government. Is Buhari not old enough and watch his
son taking good care of him?
“With this type of mentality in governance Nigeria will never meet up with the present global standard. Pathetic!’’
Abdurrahman Magaji however observed that “while ordinary citizens are accusing each other.
“They show us (Nigerians) how to love and embrace each other and when necessary tell the truth no matter how bitter it is.’’
Abdulohiz Abdulohiz in his post described Buhari as: “The most
tolerant and understanding leader of our time, no doubt a reformed
Democrat, populist, God bless PMB and God clean up the hearts of your
haters to understand how rotten the nation and its collective existence
was damaged.’’
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