14th August, 2018
Adejoke Adeleye/Abeokuta
Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe state on Tuesday held a closed door meeting with former president Olusegun Obasanjo at his private residence located inside the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The governor who arrived Abeokuta in the afternoon was quickly ushered into Obasanjo’s residence where he spent about one hour with the former president.
Sources at the Obasanjo residence disclosed that Dankwabo’s visit to Obasanjo might not be unconnected with his presidential aspiration in 2019.
Dankwambo who is seeking to be the flagbearer of the PDP for the February 2019 presidential election later told party leaders at the party secretariat in Abeokuta that he would support a better candidate if he was not considered by the PDP.
“I promise to support any better candidate if I am seen not worthy to be the next president of this great country. And if I am worthy, I promise to declare war against poverty and injustice on the people.
“We are a support group committed to salvaging Nigeria’s democracy and restoring the country back on the path of progress.
“It is a known fact that Nigeria has a problem of leadership. Part of the leadership problem is a function of poor followership. This is because the followers have brought the benchmark for leadership so low that the people who have no business being in government and governance have found themselves in positions of power and authority.
“We believe strongly that leadership is only an avenue for the service of the people in order to significantly better their lot through the provision of good governance and purposeful stewardship,” he stated.
He explained that the fight for a better country should be the number one priority of a leader in order to ensure the happiness of citizens.
“Nobody can do it alone, but when you understand the people you want to serve you are going to give them the best,” he added.
The former Accountant-General also made a jest of the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, over the numerous potholes on roads in the state. He said he was not expecting to see potholes on Ogun roads but was disappointed with the lots of potholes in the state.
“I didn’t know there are potholes in Ogun state because there is no potholes Gombe state. Gombe did not experience any challenges. Anyway, victory in 2019 is coming to our party, PDP.
“We were all shouting we want change, but we didn’t ask how he wanted to change the whole thing from negative to positive. Is he even qualified to make the change,” he said.
The presidential aspirant said that he is bringing solution in a way and manner that is realistic not just change.
“I have been a governor for 7 years now and I am the only governor that came back the second time. We have provided leadership before and we are still going to do more of it.
“We have developed economic blueprint we will share it, we are still looking at the event. I will provide the leadership Nigerians want”.
Obasanjo’s residence at the Presidential Library has become a mecca of sort to aspiring presidential aspirants in the country. On Monday, Senate President Bukola Saraki who is believed to be nursing presidential ambition, visited Obasanjo at the complex.
Other presidential aspirants who have visited include former Jigawa governor Sule Lamido.