Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have denied accusations that they are responsible for the multiple postponements of the party’s National Convention from December 2021 until Monday’s one-month shift.
This is as they avoided announcing their position on the convention timetable released on Monday by the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, saying they will only do so after meeting the President on Tuesday.
Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Bagudu, disclosed this in the late hours of Monday while fielding questions from Correspondents after an over three-hour meeting at the Kebbi State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.
The meeting, which began at about 09:00 pm, had all governors of the forum in attendance except Aminu Masari of Katsina, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara and Ben Ayade of Cross River.
On allegations that the Governors are working to hamper the conduct of the National Convention, Bagudu said, “First we appreciate that Nigerians are interested in what the APC is doing because Nigerians gave us their mandate by electing us into offices and holding us to higher standards. And we are very, very conscious of that.
“All the APC governors have met. And as always, have appreciated the need to work together with other stakeholders. We have always been humbled to acknowledge that we are not the only stakeholders of the party; to work with other stakeholders and to ensure that we deliver transparently honest national executives that will earn the confidence of all party members.”
Asked about the PGF’s stance on the just-released timetable for the March 26 convention and Zonal Congress, he said, “Until we finish the meeting with Mr President, we would rather not comment on any timetable and any logistic issue.”
On the matters discussed during the meeting, he revealed that “The Progressive Governors’ Forum met this evening to discuss developments in the States. We have disclosed and reviewed the elections that took place in the FCT, the Osun primaries, the judgment that resolved the Kano primaries issue.
“And then preparations for the National Convention, where we had a briefing from the chairman of the National Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State. And we discussed the meeting we are going to have with Mr President tomorrow (Tuesday) to further discuss the party.”
In attendance were the Governors of Kebbi State, Abubakar Bagudu; Yobe, Mai Mala Buni; Borno, Babagana Zulum; Jigawa, Muhammad Abubakar; Ondo, Rotimi Akeredolu; Niger, Abubakar Bello; Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai; Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi; Kogi, Yahaya Bello; Ogun, Dapo Abiodun; Ebonyi, Dave Umahi; Osun, Gboyega Oyetola; Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Plateau, Simon Lalong; Imo, Hope Uzondinma; Nasarrawa, Abdullahi Sule, Kano, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje; Kwara, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Nkem Okeke. – Punch
