Tinubu Meets With APC Govs To Seek Support Over 2023 Election

All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Monday met with Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja to seek their support.

The meeting, which took place at the Kebbi Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, lasted for about an hour with 12 Governors in attendance.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, Tinubu said his meeting with the Governors was to seek their support for his presidential ambition.

According to him: “My mission here is to seek collaboration, support and encouragement of my party, the APC, for my ambition to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari after his tenure.”

Dropping hints on what transpired at the meeting with the APC National Leader, Kebbi Governor and Chairman Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said Tinubu sought the support of the forum in actualising his presidential ambition.

He said: “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this morning, met members of the Progressive Governors Forum where he stated what he has made public already – his intention to seek for the office of the President come 2023 which he has already announced publicly. He briefed us on his reasons, his thinking and his message.

“All the Governors in attendance graciously came to listen to him. He acknowledged the role of the Governors in the last convention of our party, where, according to him, the Governors of the party steadied the party by helping in the evolution of the leadership that is accepted and widely acknowledged as that which we wish for our party.

“We appreciated him, and his message and will discuss the message at one of our forum meetings.”

The PGF chairman faulted insinuation that the presidential ambition of Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo may be putting the Governors in a tight corner.

Rather, he said their aspirations have further thrown up APC as the choice party with an array of capable hands showing interest to lead the country.

According to Bagudu: “On the contrary, we appreciate our party because it has become a party that has endeared itself to Nigerians.

“We have many brilliant people in our party, some serving and some not serving. The fact that we have people in our party that express a desire to lead the party into the highest office in electoral contests shows how much our party has resonated with Nigerians and our party members.

“For us, it is a hallmark of success that people are showing interest but at the end of the day and because they are leaders of the party, they will always put the party’s interest at heart.”

On the possibility of the party adopting a consensus candidate for its presidential flag bearer, the PGF Chairman said tbe party will adopt the best option insisting the party always goes for the best.

“Don’t forget that in the 2015 presidential election primary, President Buhari contested against several others and it was a beauty contest.

“There is nothing wrong. Members of the party always want to see consensus if it is possible but we are a democratic party.

“In our last convention, we had consensus in some of the offices and election in some others. There is always misrepresentation of consensus as if people are being snowballed into positions they would rather not take.”

Governors in attendance at the meeting were those of Lagos, Kebbi, Imo, Kwara, Yobe, Osun, Kaduna, Plateau, Kano, Nasarawa, Ogun and Jigawa.