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ent Goodluck Jonathan has met secretly with former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, reports Sahara Reporters.
The meeting, which was held on Friday night till the early hours of Saturday. was held at Atiku’s Abuja residence.
Jonathan it was learnt visited Atiku to convince him to be part of an Interim National Government (ING).
The President also pleaded with Atiku to rejoin the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Atiku, however, rejected the two offers.
The former VP also revealed that the body language of the President did not reveal that he was interested in the elections that are scheduled to commence in two weeks
According to SaharaReporters, Mr. Atiku said he had retired to bed when he was woken up and told that President Jonathan had come to see him, adding that the president was already waiting in his living room.
After denying that he was asked to head an interim government, the former vice president admitted that Mr. Jonathan tried to prevail on him to rejoin the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He disclosed that he rejected the invitation outright.
According to Mr. Atiku, the president also discussed the ongoing war against Boko Haram insurgents, asking for support for Nigerian troops fighting in the area. He said they also discussed the possibility of displaced Nigerians returning to the areas that have been recaptured from Boko Haram.
Asked whether he thought President Jonathan was interested in allowing elections to hold on March 28, the former vice president hesitated before stating that he would not wish to speculate, but he said the president’s body language did not reveal that he was interested in the polls that are scheduled to hold in two weeks.
The secret meeting between Mr. Jonathan and former VP Atiku has caused unease among some APC stalwarts. A few hours after the meeting, a faction of Mr. Atiku’s original political organization, the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), announced their endorsement of President Jonathan.
In his telephone interview, Mr. Atiku disclosed that he was opposed to the formation of an interim government. He stated that when former military dictator, Ibrahim Babangida, set up an interim national government in 1993, the dictator offered him a position in the government through the late General Shehu Yar’Adua (ret.). He said he rejected the position, adding that it was eventually given to a Lagos politician Dapo Sarumi.
Asked further about the substance of his conversation with Mr. Jonathan, the former vice president said advised the president to ensure that the elections were free and fair and devoid of the bloodshed that trailed the 2011 general elections.
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