Information reaching The Eagle Online has it that President Goodluck Jonathan has begun moves to win former military President, retired General Ibrahim Babangida, to his side ahead of the 2015 election.
It was gathered that Jonathan has sent several emissaries to Babangida to win him to his side in the battle for the nation’s presidency in 2015.
One of those who has been making the moves has been Vice President Namadi Sambo.
Informed sources said Sambo has paid several visits to Babangida in his home in Minna, Niger State and his Abuja residence.
In a bid to consolidate on the relationship, Jonathan, through Sambo, sources said, presented one of the latest BMW cars, a 760LI, to Babangida as gift.
The BMW 760LI is the same car type the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority bought for the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah.
While the NCAA bought two of the cars for N225 million, its market value, plus delivery to Nigeria, has been put at N37.9 million per unit.
Babangida, sources said, has told a few friends of the BMW gift but insists that it was a gift from Sambo and not Jonathan.
Efforts to reach his spokesman, Kassim Afegbua, on the development on Wednesday did not succeed.
However, a source close to the retired General said he has still not changed his position that Jonathan must not stand for the presidential election in 2015.
Babangida and Jonathan belong to the Peoples Democratic Party.
In the first few days of the crisis that led to the breakaway of the nPDP from the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur-led PDP, Babangida and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, at a meeting with Jonathan and the aggrieved members of the nPDP, had told Jonathan to shelve his presidential ambition for the sake of the party, Nigerians and Nigeria.
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