By Mike Ojoobanikan
Politicians will not cease to amaze with the way they use “photo opps” to pass their message. This time around, the photo opportunity came when former Nigeria’s vice president, Atiku Abubakar, ran into his former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo. That was on Wednedsay, 27 June 208. It was at a forum organised by the Gusau Institute on ‘A New Era for China-Africa Cooperation at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja. If you expected that they would either growl at or slap each other, then you, dear reader, do not know politicians! They shook hands as if they had never had any conflict or that Atiku gave his daughter to Obasanjo to marry. What is currently at play now is: The enemy of my enemy is my friend! In other words, Obasanjo, Atiku and others, now have a common foe- President Muhammadu Buhari.
Obasanjo, in recent times, has been going about mending fences with his enemies. He, last week, visited Chief Olabode George, the man whom he sent to prison over alleged sleaze. Also, he made a beeline same week for Chief Ayo Adebanjo’s Lekki home to discuss politics. It is on record that his friendship with Adebanjo is like the one that exists between a goat and cocoyam.
Moreover, Obasanjo, on Monday, visited leaders of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere. The meeting took place at the residence of the leader of the group, Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure, the Ondo State capital. Obasanjo wanted the help of the group to “save Nigeria from collapse.”