By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
Former Lagos State governor and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday, met with the governors under the party in Abuja.
This came barely 24 hours after Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, met with certain governors of the APC on Sunday over his declaration for 2023 presidential election on Monday.
Tinubu’s meeting with the APC governors was held at the Kebbi State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.
The governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who’s the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, was the chief host.
The meeting, which lasted for about an hour, saw Tinubu reportedly pretending not to be aware of Osinbajo’s declaration for presidency.
When asked if he was not aware of the early Monday declaration via the social media, Tinubu said he has no son in the race for the presidential ticket of the APC.
“I don’t have any son grown up enough to make such declaration,” he quipped.
Stonix News can, however, report that VP Osinbajo was a former Attorney General of Lagos State, under the cabinet of Tinubu as Lagos State Governor.
Professor Osinbajo’s formal declaration has, since, increased the number of aspirants for the APC ticket to seven.
Also speaking with newsmen, Governor Bagudu said Tinubu met the governors to discuss his presidential ambition and also thank them for their individual contributions towards the success of the party’s national convention.
“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this morning, met members of the Progressive Governors Forum where he stated what he has made public already – his intention to seek for the office of the President come 2023 which he has already announced publicly.
“He briefed us on his reasons, his thinking and his message.
All the governors in attendance graciously came to listen to him.
“He acknowledged the role of the governors in the last convention of our party, where, according to him, the governors of the party steadied the party by helping in the evolution of the leadership that is accepted and widely acknowledged as that which we wish for our party.
“We appreciated him, his message and will definitely discuss the message at one of our forum meetings,” he noted.
When asked if there could be an implosion in the party due to the growing number of aspirants, the Kebbi governor allayed the fears of party faithful.
“No, no, no. In fact, on the contrary, we appreciate our party because it has become a party that has endeared itself to Nigerians.
“We have many brilliant people in our party, some serving and some not serving. The fact that we have people in our party that express desire to lead the party into the highest office in electoral contest shows how much this our party has resonated with Nigerians and our party members.
“For us, it is a hallmark of success that people are showing interest, but at the end of the day and because they are leaders of the party, they will always put the party’s interest at heart,” he further averred.
On the alleged plot to produce the APC presidential candidate through a consensus, the he said the option should not be foreclosed.
“We always encourage our party to go for the best. Don’t forget that in the 2015 presidential election primary, President Buhari contested against several others and it was a beautiful contest.
“There is nothing wrong. Members of the party always want to see consensus, if it is possible, but we are a democratic party.
“In our last convention, we had consensus in some of the offices and election in some others.
“There is always misrepresentation of consensus as if people are being snowballed into positions they would rather not take.
“APC has done well as a party, President Buhari has led the party ably well and we believe strongly that come 2023, Nigerians will see another President of the APC extraction,” he enthused.
Other APC governors at the meeting included those of Kano, Lagos, Kwara, Yobe, Imo and Kwara states.
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