President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday urged governors of All Progressives Congress states to reconcile with their senators to prevent further defections from the party.
The President made this statement during a marathon meeting held at the National Assembly with some senators and governors in attendance.
It was gathered that President Buhari who was billed to embark on a 10-day vacation today, organised the meeting with these politicians to curtail the spate of defection in the APC.
A lawmaker who volunteered to speak with newsmen under conditions of anonymity said that President Buhari sincerely wants issues in the party resolved.
“He just came to inform the people that he is going to travel and it was to send a clear message to the state governors that they must go and reconcile with their senators so that we don’t have more defections.
“There was a particular message to the governors who have cases in their states. Now it’s very clear that if the president doesn’t hold the ones on ground, they may end up wanting out. So, the meeting was called to send a clear message to them”, the lawmaker said.
Adams Oshiomole while addressing newsmen shortly after the meeting confirmed that the meeting dealt with issues relating to the massive defection suffered by the party in recent weeks.
“But whatever is the reason, we can decamp from the party but we can’t decamp from Nigeria. The only thing is that there are other consequential issues that every man or woman of honour, who had taken such decisions, would be expected to follow through.
Oshiomhole ceased the opportunity to tell the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki to resign his position since he had dumped the APC.
“I mean you should not collect a crown that belongs to a family and wear it on behalf of the family; if for your personal reasons, which he has enumerated that he has gone to another family. It is just a matter of honour to leave the crown in the house that the crown belongs to”.
President Buhari also met with the governors few hours after meeting with senators in the conference room of the office of the wife of the president at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
State governors present 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, Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Mohammed Jibrilla of Adamawa, Abubakar Bugudu of Kebbi and Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State.
Also present was the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole; and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, while speaking with newsmen said that President Muhammadu Buhari is not disturbed about defections currently ongoing in APC.
Okorocha explained that the APC till has 22 governors and a majority in the Senate.
“We came to assure him that his foot soldiers are ready, and the president is in high spirits”, he said.
