President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday departed Katsina State, for Yola, the Adamawa State capital, after a five-day private visit to his home in Daura.
The president was in Daura to commiserate with members of his extended family, who were bereaved recently.
The presidential aircraft took off from Umaru Musa Yar’adua International Airport, Katsina, about 10.30a.m; and headed for Yola where he is expected to declare open an anti-corruption conference.
The conference theme is “Performance Based Governance: Transparency, Accountability and Social Value’’.
While in Daura, Buhari received hundreds of sympathisers at his private residence to console the president over the deaths of two extended family members, Hajiya Halima Dauda and Hajiya Ai’sha Alhaji Mamman.
They also sympathised with him over the auto-crash involving his son, Yusuf.
Among the early callers were state governors from All Progressives Congress (APC), including the Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Zamfara Governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari.
Others were Rochas Okorocha (Imo); Aminu Masari (Katsina State); Abubakar Muhammed (Bauchi State); Kashim Shettima (Borno); Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo State) and Malam Nasir El-Rufa’I of Kaduna State.
Also Gov. Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa, Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano State); Godwin Obaseki (Edo); Yahaya Bello (Kogi); Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); Abubakar Sani-Bello (Niger) and Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State.
The governors of Benue, Osun and Ogun were represented by their deputies at the meeting.
The governors of Yobe and Plateau were also represented at the meeting.
Okorocha, who spoke to newsmen after the visit, said their mission to Daura was to condole with the president over the loss of two members of his extended family.
He said the governors also used the opportunity to commend the president for appointing Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as APC Chief Mediator in the party’s conflicts.
The governor, however, dismissed the assertion that their meeting with Buhari which was held behind closed doors, was politically motivated and aimed at convincing the president to seek re-election in the 2019 presidential election.
He said: “We are yet to discuss that. That would be in next the meeting where we will discuss whether we want to support him to run or not.
“But for now we came on the issue of the death of his two relatives and to commend him for action taken on Tinubu as a conciliator.’’
Similarly, the Emir of Maradun in Zamfara, Alhaji Garba Tambari, on Sunday paid a condolence visit to the president.
Tambari, shortly after the visit, pledged the unflinching support of the traditional institution to Federal Government policies and programmes geared toward improving the welfare of Nigerians.
The emir said that some traditional rulers across the country had resolved to ensure the re-election of Buhari in 2019.
“Anybody who wishes this country good, who wishes this country well, will want Mr President to continue after 2019. So, we wish he will continue by the grace of God,’’ he added.
