WIKE, THREE APC GOVERNORS HOLD PRIVATE MEETING IN PORT HARCOURT

Governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo and Babajide Sanwo-olu of Lagos will today in Port Harcourt meet their Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, PREMIUM TIMES has gathered.

The development is believed to be connected with the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) resulting from the nomination of Atiku Abubakar as the candidate of the main opposition party for the 2023 presidential election.

The crisis worsened after Atiku rejected the recommendation of an ad hoc committee of the party and picked Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate.

The three South West governors are believed to be going to Port Harcourt for the meeting with Mr Wike as emissaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

The ruling party and Mr Tinubu are believed to be trying to capitalise on the crisis in the opposition party to seek the support of Mr Wike for the forthcoming presidential poll.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Fayemi, he confirmed that he was indeed travelling with his two fellow APC governors to the Rivers State capital.

He also confirmed that the itinerary of the delegation includes a meeting with Governor Wike.

However, he said the meeting is not connected to partisan matters.

Mr Fayemi said the visiting governors would only be paying a courtesy call on their colleague, Mr Wike, while using the opportunity to discuss issues concerning the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

Mr Fayemi, who is the chairperson of the NGF, said the forum is having ongoing discussions on challenges related to national security, education and the economy, saying those would form the focus of the meeting of the visiting governors with Mr Wike.

“We are going to Port Harcourt to meet members of the APC in the state but have decided to use the opportunity to pay a courtesy call on our colleague, the governor of the state,” Mr Fayemi told this newspaper.

Via Premium Times