Three All Progressives Congress (APC) state governors yesterday unexpectedly turned up in Port Harcourt for what Government House sources called a private visit to Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

In town were Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).

They were joined by former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose.

The visiting governors arrived Port Harcourt in the afternoon and drove straight to Wike’s Rumueprikon country home.

They were received by their host and Fayose with all of them hugging, shaking hands and exchanging banter.

Akeredolu was heard hailing Wike while Fayemi jokingly asked their host: “Why did you bring cameras here?”

They later retired into the Rivers State governor’s sitting room with the doors shut against reporters and other people except Fayose and Senator Olaka Nwogu.

The meeting lasted about 30 minutes and out came the governors resuming their jokes.

They kept sealed lips on what they discussed.

Read Also; Wike’s camp gives ‘Ayu must go’ condition to back Atiku

Observers said the 2023 presidential election could not be ruled out of the talks.

A PDP chieftain, who spoke in confidence, said: “The discussion may have centred on the presidential election, project Nigeria beyond party lines and the need for the Rivers governor to support their quest for southern president.

“They may have reminded Wike of the collective decision of the southern governors in all their meetings before the primaries and insisted that it is only just and equitable that power should return to the south.

“They believe that in the spirit of brotherliness, Wike should support the APC, which has provided a southern candidate. We don’t know what the governor’s reaction is but time will tell.”

Speaking on the visit, a PDP Chieftain and former Commissioner for Information, Ogbonna Nwuke, said the development was an indication that Wike had become Nigeria’s property.

He said: “It simply means that Wike is Nigeria’s property. He has become somebody respected and somebody whose views are understood. He is somebody when he says I am fighting with you he is on your side.

“Those APC governors simply came here to say, ‘we appreciate who you are, we understand what your mission is and we want to have a conversation. What the purpose of the conversation is, is not what we know at this time.

“But it is clear that they understand the fact that the Nigerian nation needs Wike and that if we are talking about the survival of Nigeria, we must go beyond party and we must go beyond ethnicity and we must talk to people, who believe in the Nigerian project.

“They have the right to lobby Wike. But I have an understanding of who Governor Wike is. Governor Wike said, ‘I am going nowhere’ and I hope that those who are busy peddling information in the PDP that Wike is about to leave will change that line of thought.”

Observers also noted that Wike remains hurt by the decision of the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to overlook him as running mate in favour of Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

A committee set up by the PDP to recommend a suitable vice presidential candidate had overwhelmingly chosen Wike only for Atiku to reject the recommendation.