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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has admonished the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors to work with the party to avoid precipitating a leadership crisis in the national assembly.
According to a statement by his media aide, Tune Rahman, the former Lagos State governor stated this on Thursday during a meeting with the APC governors, who paid him a visit at his private residence in Abuja.
Tinubu asked the governors to work with the party’s leadership and lawmakers on the election of principal officers of the national assembly.
It was gathered that the president-elect agreed with the suggestion of the governors that consensus candidates should jettisoned, and positions should be zoned.
The meeting, it was learnt, was part of Tinubu’s consultations with the APC stakeholders for the planned zoning of the national assembly’s leadership positions.
Addressing the governors, Tinubu said: “We thank God Almighty for our electoral victory. It was tough and turbulent. The challenge before us is working in unison with the party leadership and the National Assembly over the election of their principal officers. And I charge you to unite in spirit and faith and work in line with the party.”
The president-elect also gave a glimmer of hope to some governors and former governorship candidates who lost during their elections.
“Whether you return or not, this is our government. Once we know what we are doing and communicating as elected leaders and loyal party men, we will conquer the challenge,” he said.
He reiterated his earlier admonitions that, as leaders, they were elected to serve the people and humanity with fairness and justice.
Tinubu expressed gratitude to God that he, being “the first Muslim minority from the South West got the blessing of Allah to be elected president.”
He further dismissed speculations about his health, saying, “all speculations have perished and their purveyors brought to shame.”
The president-elect had earlier met with the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) members and some aspirants.
The governors were led to the meeting by the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) and Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu.
Earlier, Bagudu said the visit was to congratulate Tinubu on his election victory and welcome him back from his recent trip to France.
He also announced that the governors were ready for any assignment the president-elect may give them.
While referring to the election of presiding officers of the National Assembly, the Kebbi State governor pledged that they would continue to discuss and work with the party and the lawmakers to arrive at the best decision in the interest of the country.
Those in attendance include the vice president-elect, Kashim Shettima; Governors Simon Lalong (Plateau), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), Hope Uzodinnma (Imo), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Babajide Sanwo-olu (Lagos), Ben Ayade (Cross River), Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq (Kwara), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti).
Others were the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Kelechi Igwe and the deputy governor of Kano State, Alhaji Nasiru Gawuna.