President Buhari Meets APC Governors Ahead of National Convention

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met with the governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the ruling party’s national convention scheduled for next week to produce its flagbearer for the next year presidential election.

The meeting, which took place in his office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, had all members of the Progressives Governors Forum represented and was expected to give guidance on who should become the flag bearer of the party.

It lasted for about 30 minutes after which they all declined to speak with the waiting correspondents.

Twenty-three aspirants are being screened by the John Odigie-Oyegun-led APC screening committee now sitting at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

The governors and critical stakeholders of the APC have often expressed their desire to go along with the choice of the president on the presidential candidate of the party.

President Buhari had earlier affirmed that even though he has his choice of the candidate, he would not disclose it so that the individual may be eliminated.

It is believed that the state chief executives may now have been apprised of the expectations of the President heading into the critical exercise.

The meeting came shortly before the President was due to embark on a three-day trip to Madrid, Spain for a State Visit at the invitation of the Spanish President, Pedro Sanchez.

According to a statement issued by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), President Buhari will also meet separately with the Head of State of the Spanish nation, His Majesty King Felipe VI.

During his engagements with both leaders, he will discuss issues of mutual interest to both countries, which, according to the statement, will expectedly result in the signing of Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding on a wide range of topics geared toward further enhancing the bilateral relations between the two nations.

“Such areas include Extradition and transfer of convicted persons, Mutual Legal Assistance, Cultural Matters, Cooperation towards fighting crime and enhancing security, as well as issues affecting dependants of diplomatic staff.

“Also on the agenda are Cooperation on Energy, Trade and Investment, Transportation, Public Health and Sports Development,” it said.

The statement also informed that President Buhari will also be the Special Guest at an Investment Forum jointly organized by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of Trade, and the Confederation of Employers (CEOE) where he will speak to the gathering of top members of the Spanish business community and their Nigerian counterparts on the investment opportunities in Nigeria and ways of expanding the volume of trade as well as further collaborating for the development of the economies of both countries.

He is accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN); Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare; and the Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora.

Other members of the delegation are the National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd); Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar; and Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.