Jonathan pays surprise visit to Buhari at Aso Rock

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

According to a source in the Presidency, the meeting which took place on Thursday evening was held inside the President’s official residence.

That was the first time Jonathan would be visiting the Presidential Villa since he left in the morning of May 29 for the Eagle Square, Abuja 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 newsmen yesterday.

Adesina however said he was not privy to the subject of discussion at the meeting.

A top Presidency official also confided that the meeting was strictly between Buhari and Jonathan.

He said the visit was made very discreet and to the extent that photographs were not even taken.

“Nobody was with them. I am sure they didn’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 at press time whether the two visits were connected.

However, Hallmark reliably gathered that Jonathan’s visit to the Buhari might not be unconnected with the probe of some government officials who served in his administration.

According to a close aide to the former president, they were worried over the deluge of revelations of fraud allegedly perpetrated by close aides and associates of Jonathan during his time in government.

“The way revelations of massive looting by officials who served in the Jonathan’s administration keep gracing the pages of newspaper daily is most alarming. If it is not quickly nipped in the bud, it may destroy the little credibility the former president has, particularly the goodwill he got when he publicly conceded defeat to Buhari after the presidential election.

“It was agreed that he must go and see President Buhari one on one to sort out the perceived differences between them before everything gets out of hand. With the way things are going, there is no doubt he (Jonathan) would be rubbished and we don’t want that to happen.

“That was why we begged him to seek audience with the president to seek peace and a soft landing for himself and some members of his administration.

It would be recalled that the Buhari administration had been investigating some activities of Jonathan’s administration with government officials, claiming that the past administration was characterised by impunity and large-scale corruption.