Olushola Omogbehin
Sequel to the newly released timetable of the All Progressives Congress primaries, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday evening met behind closed doors with APC governors on strategies to adopt in order to ensure a peaceful and transparent party primaries.
The meeting, which took place at the presidential Villa, Abuja, was attended by important members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, led by its Chairman and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, and the Chairman of Nigeria’s Governors Forum, NGF, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State.
Other governors in attendance include: Governors Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, Peter Mbah of Enugu State, and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, Umar Bago of Niger, Babagana Zulum of Borno, Hyacinth Alia of Benue, Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti and Dr. Peter Mbah of Enugu state.
Speaking with journalists after the session, the NGF Chairman, Governor AbdulRazaq, said the meeting focused on ensuring a smooth primary election process following the release of the party’s timetable.
He said, “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.”
Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, said the governors used the opportunity to appreciate the president for his continued support and leadership within the party.
According to him, President Tinubu 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.
“We came to thank the President for his magnanimity and his support to the governors and for our party, the APC. He gave us marching orders on what to do, and he also gave and ceded his executive power to the governors to go ahead and conduct primaries based on the Electoral Act, either through consensus or direct primaries.
“So he’s reiterated his support for our decision, and he has given us a go-ahead to proceed,” Bago said.
It was, however, gathered that some states were represented by their deputy governors.
The meeting is coming barely three weeks before the party’s primary elections ahead of the 2027 polls.
