National Convention: Buhari Puts Off Meeting With APC Governors, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, put off a meeting with governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ostensibly scheduled to discuss matters concerning the ruling party’s upcoming national convention.
Several of the state chief executives had arrived at the presidential villa, Abuja on Tuesday, only to learn that the meeting would no longer take place.
No official reason was given for the cancellation but the president’s activities for the day had been scheduled to end earlier than usual as he was meant to depart for Belgium later the same day for Europe-African Union Summit taking place in the country.
National Convention: Buhari Puts Off Meeting With APC Governors
It is not clear whether the cancellation was for time constraints and when the meeting may be rescheduled.
The president is rescheduled to return from Europe on Saturday.
Some of the governors that were sighted in the villa include the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Ekiti state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Simon Lalong (Plateau; Ben Ayade (Cross River), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Hope Uzodinma (Imo) and Yahaya Bello (Kogi).
Also sighted were Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omon Agege and Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase.
Despite the cancellation of the meeting, both Uzodinma and Bello were able to have separate private audiences with the president on matters concerning their individual states.
Uzodinma explained that there is nothing wrong if the APC decides to shift its national convention from the February 26 scheduled date.
Responding to queries about the fate of the conversation following the party’s inability to agree on offices zoning and setting up convention subcommittees with less than two weeks to the date, he explained: “Of course, that is the decision of the party and there is nothing wrong even if it doesn’t hold. What is important is that we must have our convention. We have said it is the 26th. If anything, for any reason tomorrow, it is not doable in the opinion of the party, we will move. But that does not mean that there is any intention to move.