Nigeria: Osinbajo Meets Adamu, Five APC Governors Ahead of National Convention

The meeting, which started at about 7 p.m. in Aguda House, the official residence of the vice president, came a few days after President Muhammadu Buhari met with the APC governors requesting their support to pick his successor.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday, met with the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, and five governors of the ruling party.

The meeting, according to sources, started at about 7 p.m.

However, the identity of the governors is currently unknown.

The meeting took place in Aguda House, the official residence of the vice president.

Laolu Akande, the spokesperson to the Vice President, did not pick up calls placed to his number.

Mr Osinbajo is in the presidential race under the APC alongside 22 others with the special convention to elect a candidate fixed for June 6-8.

Over the week, the presidential race of the ruling party became intriguing after the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari, APC governors and the national chairman of the party.

“In keeping with the established internal policies of the Party and as we approach the Convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the Governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023,” Mr Buhari had told the governors.

He departed for Spain on a state visit after the meeting.

On their part, the APC governors have held several meetings to deliberate on an ideal candidate but failed to reach an agreement so far.

Tinubu’s outburst

Earlier on Thursday, Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos State Governor and presidential aspirant of the APC, during a meeting with Ogun State delegates, narrated how Mr Osinbajo emerged as the vice president.

He said Mr Osinbajo, an indigene of the state, would not have emerged as the vice-presidential candidate in 2015 without his support.

“This is me telling you between my life and God Almighty, Buhari called me to be his Vice President. He said because the first time he contested, he picked Okadigbo, a flamboyant Catholic, but Nigerians didn’t vote for him.

“The second time, he picked another Igbo, Ume-Ezeoke, Nigerians didn’t vote for him. He knows that even if he goes to bring the Pope to run as his vice, Nigerians won’t vote for him. So he said, ‘you, Bola Tinubu, you have six governors, you have never lost an election before, come and be my vice.

“He knew all the calculations then favoured us, that was why he wanted me as his vice, but I told him to let us build the party first.

“I told them that I have a candidate that is a Christian that I can nominate so that the party will not break. That was how I nominated Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. I surrendered my right to him (Osinbajo).”

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