Buhari in closed-door meeting with Tinubu, Osinbajo, others

President Muhammadu Buhari Saturday night met with the presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress, at the State House, Abuja.

Buhari, who returned from an ECOWAS extraordinary summit hours ago, met with the aspirants screened by a panel set up by the party.

They included Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Bola Tinubu, Governors Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Fayemi Kayode (Ekiti), former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Goodwill Akpabio, Former Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, amongst others.

Also at the meeting were the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha and the National Security Adviser (NSA), and Major General Babangida Monguno (rtd).

The meeting, which took place at the official residence of the president at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, came barely 48 hours to the national convention of the party. Sources said the parley centred on the choice of the APC presidential flag bearer.

Also, the issue of a consensus candidate, and the outburst by former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, against President Buhari allegedly, over the perceived plot to sideline him from the race among others, formed the crux of the meeting.

The APC panel had announced that it cleared 13 of the aspirants to contest the primaries due to hold on Monday and Tuesday but withheld details on the status of the others.

The committee’s report submitted to the National Chairman of the APC, Sen Abdullahi Adamu was scheduled to be deliberated upon at the State House, Abuja meeting, Saturday, between President Buhari, members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) and the 23 presidential aspirants.

Reports have it that the screening committee led by Odigie-Oyegun, on Friday said that 99 per cent of the aspirants are in support of consensus.

However, it was gathered that the main objective of the meeting was to encourage the aspirants to support the aspirant who was ranked top among those who were screened.