How APC Governors met Osinbajo first before other presidential aspirants declared interest ahead of him ─Report

*Governors of the ruling APC had given Asiwaju Bola Tinubu conditions to come over to the Kebbi State Government’s Lodge, in Abuja, to pitch as the state chief executives  refused to go to –Lagos Governor’s Asokoro residence for a meeting

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Facts have emerged that in a significant move, APC Governors under the banner of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) earlier had rejected the former Lagos Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s preference to host them in a recent meeting, and rather asked him to come and make his pitch for his presidential ambition for their support at the Kebbi State Government Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, FCT.

Sources informed the step was sequel to the fact that the first presidential aspirant the Governors met with was the Vice-President (VP), 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 Vice-President.

“This is indicative of who is seen as the undisputed front-runner and potentially the most popular of the aspirants, ” an APC source said.

While the Vice President only declared Monday, April 11, 2022, having met the Governors Sunday, April 10, 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 Governors had with the VP  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.

It was gathered Asiwaju Tinubu, on seeing the notice of the Governors’ meeting with the VP, quickly instructed Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to mobilise his colleagues as APC Governors to see if it was possible for him to meet the Governors first. However, reports indicated that Governor Sanwo-Olu made serious efforts at holding the meeting last Friday.

The aborted attempt led to the holding of the meeting Monday, 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.