It was learnt that the governors who were at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, protested against the handling of the primaries by the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee of the APC.
The complaints of the governors ranged from alleged injustice in the governorship primaries to the omission of their loyalists from the list of the party’s senatorial aspirants.
While the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu; and his Nasarawa State counterpart, Tanko Al-Makura, were bitter because of the removal of their loyalists from the list, the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, and Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State kicked against the conduct of the governorship primaries in their states by the NWC.
“The focus of the meeting was the problem associated with the primaries, particularly the poor handling of the shadow elections by the NWC,” a chieftain of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
At the end of the meeting, the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Rochas Okorocha, said the leadership of the APC must do the right thing and allow everybody to participate in the primaries.
Okorocha, who is the Imo State Governor, said this during a brief interview by State House correspondents after leading eight other APC governors to the meeting with the President.
It was gathered that all the governors who met behind closed-doors with the President had issues with party primaries in their states.
Okorocha confirmed that the meeting was about the rancorous party primaries across the country.
He expressed the belief that the party leadership would rescind some of its decision on the matter.
He said, “We came to review the crises that characterised our primaries. We are looking for a way out in this regard; we are going to find solution. Our party believes in justice, equity and fairness.
“We are saying that let the right thing be done and let everyone contest the elections.”
Other governors at the meeting are Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Sani Bello (Niger) and Simon Lalong (Plateau).
Akeredolu and Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State had on Wednesday met the President over the same matter.
The meeting between the President and the governors lasted about two hours.
At the end of the meeting, the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, who was part of the meeting, led the state governors out of the venue.
After accompanying the governors to where their cars were parked, the Chief of Staff also got into his car and was driven out of the premises. It was not clear whether they were heading to the same place.
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