…Shettima, Akpabio, Abbas, APC governors, NWC members attend Abuja meeting
… Presence of former PDP governors signals widening political realignment within ruling party
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is currently leading other leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to attend the party’s national caucus meeting at the State House Abuja.
President Tinubu, who arrived the State House Conference Centre, venue of the all-important party event at about 7:38pm, was accompanied into the hall by Vice President Kashim Shettima; President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma; and the Chairman of the ruling party, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda.
The meeting, which underscored the party’s growing political consolidation, is also being attended by an array of senior party members including former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, members of the party’s National Working Committee; APC governors; and principal officers of the National Assembly.
Among the governors present were Monday Okpebholo of Edo, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo, Usman Ododo of Kogi, Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia of Benue, Bassey Otu of Cross River, and Jigawa State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State.
Read Also:US dismisses report of airstrikes in Nigeria, Benin Republic border
Others in attendance included Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Uba Sani of Kaduna, and Dikko Radda of Katsina State.
The caucus meeting also drew notable attention with the presence of governors who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
They include Douye Diri of Bayelsa, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, and Agbu Kefas of Taraba State.
Several party elders and former public office holders were also present, among them pioneer APC National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; former Ogun State Governor, Chief Segun Osoba; former Osun State Governor and Minister, Adegboyega Oyetola; former Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade; former Taraba State Governor, Jolly Nyame; and former Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.
Also in attendance were former Senate Presidents Ken Nnamani and Anyim Pius Anyim; former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege; Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig-Gen. Buba Marwa; former Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda; former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; former Edo State Governor and Senator, Adams Oshiomhole; former Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello; former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun; former Ekiti State Governor, Niyi Adebayo; and former Zamfara State Governors, Abdulaziz Yari and Ahmed Sani Yerima.
National Assembly leaders at the meeting included Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Senators Gbenga Daniel, Aliyu Wammako, Adamu Aliero, Ahmad Lawan and Simon Lalong, as well as House of Representatives leaders, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere and Idris Wase.