Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday
night held a closed door meeting with governors elected on the platform
of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The meeting came as the presidency
earlier Wednesday disclosed that President Buhari would Thursday embark
on a 10-day vacation to the United Kingdom.
Answering questions from journalists
after a closed-door meeting with the president, the Chairman of APC
Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha, lamented the defection of three
governors on the platform of the ruling party to the opposition Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), describing it as unfortunate.
He said the APC governors visited the president to pledge their loyalty to both the APC and President Buhari.
Okorocha said the defection notwithstanding, the party remained stronger and even more united.
He said: “Two of our colleagues left our
party. This is politics, it is unfortunate that they have to go. We
have 22 states, 53 senators. Nobody is leaving the party anymore. Those
who have left, we are aware that they will leave long ago.
“PMB means well and he is willing to
fight corruption and you all know if you are fighting corruption, it
will fight back and this is what’s happening. As you are aware, three of
our governors left our party and we got one in through Ekiti.
“This is politics, it is unfortunate
that they have to go. But that has not in any way reduce our party or
has it in any way touched us. We are still as strong, even stronger and
more united.”
President Buhari had Wednesday night met with the governors behind closed-doors at the Presidential Villa.
Attended by 15 governors and a deputy governor, the meeting which started at about 9.46p.m. ended at 10.28p.m.
Present at the meeting were: Governor
Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos, Yahaya Bello of
Kogi, Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Kashim Shettima of Borno, Abdullahi
Ganduje of Kano, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, Abubakar Bello of Niger and
Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna.
Others were Simon Lalong of Plateau,
Mohammed Jibrilla of Adamawa, Abubakar Bugudu of Kebbi and Abiola
Ajimobi of Oyo State, Aminu Masari of Katsina, Governor Tanko Al-Makura
of Nasarawa, and Godwin Obaseki of Edo.
The Deputy Governor of Osun State, Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori represented the governor.
The Attorney General of the Federation
(AGF) and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, APC National Chairman
Adams Oshiomhole and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF)
Boss Mustapha also attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, President Buhari will Thursday embark on a 10-day vacation to London.
According to a terse statement by his
spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, while the president is away, Vice-President
Yemi Osinbajo would act as president.
“In compliance with Section 145 (1) of
the 1999 Constitution, a letter has been transmitted to the President of
the Senate, and the Speaker, House of Representatives to that effect.
“While the president is on vacation, the vice-president will be in acting capacity as president.
“President Buhari will be in London for the holiday,” the statement read.
The president’s 10-day medical trip to
the UK will be his sixth to the country that would be made public since
he assumed office three years ago.
The last time President Buhari travelled abroad for medical vacation was on May 8, 2018, when he went on a four-day trip.
The president first proceeded on medical
vacation on June 7, 2016 over what the presidency described as a
persistent “ear infection”.
At the time, he was forced to cancel a
two-day visit to Lagos to inaugurate projects in the state due to the
“ear infection” suspected to be Ménière’s disease.
His trip at the time occurred days after
Adesina was quoted as saying Buhari was as “fit as fiddle” and “hale
and hearty,” to much criticism by political analysts and several
Nigerians.
On January 19, 2017, the president
embarked on yet another medical vacation and was billed to return on
February 6, 2017, following what was described as a “routine medical
check up”, but did not return until March 10, 2017.
Although information was limited during
his stay in London, he was pictured on March 9 meeting with the
Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, at Abuja House, the official
residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK.
On his return, Vice-President Osinbajo continued to steer the ship of the country while the president recovered in Abuja.
Buhari during this period missed several
major official and public engagements, and appeared very frail the few
times he appeared in public, until his return to the UK on May 7, 2017
for medical reasons.
He eventually returned to Nigeria from his medical leave 104 days later on August 19, 2017.
His 10-day trip to the UK to see his
doctors again is bound to set tongues wagging and raise questions over
his ability to run the country.
Buhari, 75, had since announced his intention to seek re-election in the 2019 presidential election.
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