*Asiwaju given conditions to come to Kebbi Govt’s Lodge to pitch as Govs refused to go to his Asokoro residence
In a significant move, APC Governors under the banner of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) rejected the former Lagos Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s preference to host them in today’s meeting and rather asked him to come and make his pitch for their support at the Kebbi State Government Lodge in Asokoro.
This is following the fact, according to APC sources, that the first Presidential aspirant the Governors met with was the Vice President although others including the Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, Tinubu and other APC Presidential aspirants had publicly declared their interest in the race ahead of the VP.
“This is indicative of who is seen as the undisputed frontrunner and potentially the most popular of the aspirants, ” an APC Party source said.
While the Vice President only declared today, having met the Governors yesterday, all the other aspirants had declared previously without consulting the APC Governors or meeting with them as a group.
A source said the meeting the APC Governors held with Tinubu the day after they met the VP in his residence was a knee-jerk reaction to the one the the Governors had with the VP on Sunday.
There has been no mention as yet whether the Governors would even meet other aspirants including Amaechi, the Ebonyi State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha and others who have also publicly shown interest in the Presidential race.
When Tinubu on seeing the notice of the Governors meeting with the VP, he quickly instructed the Lagos State Governor Babjide Sanwo-Olu to mobilise his colleagues APC Governors to see if it was possible for Asiwaju to meet the Governors first. Reports indicate that Sanwoolu ran up and down to hold the meeting on Friday.
The aborted attempt led to the holding of the meeting today but only on the condition the APC Governors gave that they would meet Asiwaju if he came to a venue set by the Governors, which was the Lodge of the Kebbi State Government. Kebbi Governor is the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, PGF.
