State Governors of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Friday said their mission to Daura, Katsina State, was merely to condole with President Muhammadu Buhari over the loss of two members of his extended family.
The Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha of Imo, stated this when he fielded questions from newsmen after a closed door meeting with President Buhari at his private resident in Daura, on Friday.
He dismissed media reports that their mission to Daura was aimed at convincing the President to seek re-election in the forthcoming presidential election in 2019.
He said the governors also used the opportunity to commend the president for appointing Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as APC Chief Mediator.
The president had last week appointed 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.
“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, 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 ghastly auto-accident and the death of his two relatives.
He described the appointment of 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.
Meanwhile, this newspaper had exclusively reported that the governors were in Daura to likely discuss issues of his 2019 re-election.
It was also reported that the president and the governors were earlier scheduled to meet at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, but the meeting was rescheduled for Daura due to Buhari’s engagement.
According to the source, “very serious political developments,” would be discussed at the meeting.
Confirming the development to the news outlet, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said “Buhari would meet the governors in Daura today.”
Mr Shehu, who, however, declined to comment on the agenda of the meeting said, “Yes, that is very correct.”
Also, Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said whatever “meeting the president has with anyone in Daura would be a private one.”
President Buhari yesterday evening arrived Daura on a private visit after a working visit to Kaduna State.
