Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday
night paid a secret visit to President Muhammadu
Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

At the meeting held inside the President’s official
residence, no third person was admitted and no
photograph of the night visit by Jonathan was
allowed.

The visit was Jonathan’s first time at the Presidential
Villa since he left in the morning of May 29 for the
Eagles Square, where Buhari took his oath of office
and allegiance as his (Jonathan’s) successor.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, confirmed Jonathan’s
visit and meeting with Buhari to our correspondent
on Sunday.
Adesina however said he was not privy to the subject
of the discussion at the meeting.

A top Presidency official also confided in our
correspondent that the meeting was strictly between
Buhari and Jonathan and that no photographs were
taken.

“Nobody was with them. I am sure they don’t want
the visit to be an item in the media. That probably
explains why the former President visited at night
and went straight to the residence. They met for a
few minutes in the President’s residence,” the official
said.

The following day, however, Buhari also played host
to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
But unlike Jonathan’s visit, one of the photographers
attached to the President was able to capture the two
leaders.

It was not clear as of press time whether the two
visits were in any way connected.

But The PUNCH learnt that Obasanjo, during his
meeting with Buhari, told the President to ensure
that all funds stolen under the Jonathan
administration were recovered in order to strengthen
the President’s anti-corruption image in the
international community.

A Presidency source, who confided in our
correspondent, said that Obasanjo did not raise the
issue of appointments with Buhari.

“He (Obasanjo) argued that the anti-graft war will
further raise the reputation of the Buhari
administration at the international community. The
former President also said stolen funds should be
recovered,” the source said.

The Buhari administration has been investigating
some activities of Jonathan’s administration with
government officials claiming that the past
administration was characterised by impunity and
large-scale corruption.

Apart from probing the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, the present administration is also
beaming its searchlight on the management of the
Excess Crude Account under Jonathan.

Some former aides of the ex-President, including the
former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki
(retd.); Jonathan’s Chief Security Officer, Mr. Gordon
Obuah; and the former Director-General of Nigerian
Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr.
Patrick Akpobolokemi, had either been arrested,
detained or investigated.

On the eve of his departure from office, Jonathan had
on May 27 advised Buhari not to single out his
administration for any probe.

He said all those advising Buhari to probe his
administration must also advise him to extend his
probe beyond his regime, lest the probe be seen as a
witch-hunt.

Jonathan said, “Some people are even calling for the
probe of this government. I agree that in Nigeria,
there are a number of things that we will probe, very
many things.

“Even debts owed by states and this nation from 1960
up to this time, they are saying it is Jonathan’s
administration that owes all the debts.

“I believe that anybody calling for probe must ensure
that these probes are extended beyond the Jonathan
administration, otherwise to me, it will be a witch-
hunt.

“If you are very sincere, then it is not just the
Jonathan’s administration that should be probed. A
number of things have gone wrong and we have
done our best to fix them. The Attorney-General is
aware of massive judgments debts, if we aggregate
all of them, it is about $1bn.

“How did we come to this kind of huge judgment
debts? These issues should be probed.

“How do you allocate our oil wells, oil fields, marginal
wells and others? Do we follow our laws? All these
should be probed. I believe all these and many more
areas should be looked into.”

Jonathan’ ascendancy to the Presidency was believed
to have been made possible by Obasanjo’s support
but the two have since parted ways with Obasanjo
constantly attacking Jonathan’s government as
corrupt.

Also, Jonathan, at a point during the electioneering,
reportedly referred to Obasanjo as a “motor park
tout.”

Source: PunchNg