President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday evening met with governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The meeting was held at the President’s Office in the State House in Abuja.
Discussions were said to be around on strategies for conducting peaceful and transparent party primaries.
Those who attended the meeting were chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodimma, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe state, Governor Babagana Zulum, Governor Hyacinth Alia of Beneu state, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti state, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu state and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara state.
Others include Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi state, Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto state, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Governor Umar Bago of Niger state and Governor Dauda Lawan Dare of Zamfara state.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Governor AbdulRazaq, who also chairs the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), said deliberations focused on ensuring a smooth primary election process following the release of the party’s timetable.
“We met with Mr. President. The timetable for the primaries has been released. We’ve discussed the process moving forward, so that there’ll be free and fair elections, no rancour, and at the end of the process, the party should be one, stronger than ever, heading towards the election,” he said.
Also speaking, Governor Umar Bago of Niger state said the governors used the opportunity to appreciate the President for his continued support and leadership within the party.
He disclosed that the President gave the governors clear direction on the conduct of the primaries, while affirming their autonomy within the framework of the law.
“We came to thank the President for his magnanimity and his support to the governors and for our party, the APC. He gave us a marching order to what to do, for him also to have given and ceded his executive power to the governors to go ahead and conduct primaries based on the Electoral Act, either consensus or direct primaries.
“So, he’s reiterated his support for our decision, and he has given us a go-ahead to proceed,” he said.
