Contrary to reports making the rounds, state Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who visited President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State Friday said that their mission was not aimed at convincing the president to seek re-election in the forthcoming presidential election in 2019.
The Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, who stated this while fielding questions from journalists after a closed door meeting with the president at his private resident in Daura, explained that the aim of the visit was to condole with the president over the loss of two members of his extended family.
He said that they also used the opportunity to commend the president for appointing former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu, as APC chief mediator.
The president had last week appointed Mr. Tinubu to reconcile aggrieved members of the party.
“We are yet to discuss that. That would be in next the meeting where we will discuss whether we want to support him to run or not,” Mr. Okorocha said regarding 2019 election.
Mr. Buhari has not publicly said he will seek re-election, but it is all but clear the president will.
“But for now we came on the issue of the death of his two relatives and to commend him for action taken on Tinubu as a conciliator,’’ he said.
Also speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Gov. Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa, said they were in Daura to also sympathise with the president over the involvement of his son, Yusuf, in a auto-accident and the death of his two relatives.
He described the appointment of Mr. Tinubu as APC chief mediator as a wonderful initiative by the President.
“After the condolences, we had some very intimate discussion that further bound our relationships and affinity together and I believe this is a continuation of our closed association and support, loyalty and commitment to Mr President’s cause and Nigeria’s cause,’’ he said.
The governors who met with the president are the chairman of Governors’ Forum and Zamfara Governor, Abdulaziz Yari; Rochas Okorocha (Imo); Abubakar Muhammed (Bauchi); Kashim Shettima (Borno); Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and Malam Nasir El-Rufa’I of Kaduna State.
Others are Gov. Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa, Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano); Godwin Obaseki of Edo; Yahaya Bello (Kogi); Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); Abubakar Sani-Bello (Niger) and Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State, while the governors of Benue, Osun and Ogun were represented by their deputies.
The governors of Yobe and Plateau were also represented at the meeting.
(NAN)
