President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The meeting, holding at the presidential villa, Abuja, is believed to be regarding the party’s controversial primary elections.
The party had conducted governorship and senatorial elections across the states but the exercise was riddled with controversies, leading to its cancellation in states like Imo and Zamfara.
The decision to offer automatic ticket to some lawmakers did not go down well with some governors.
The president had on Wednesday night met with Rotimi Akeredolu and Nasir el-Rufai, governors of Ondo and Kaduna states respectively, over the same matter.
Uba Sani, el-Rufai preferred candidate for Kaduna central senatorial district, was disqualified by the national working committee (NWC) of the party while Shehu Sani, who has a running battle with the governor, was given automatic ticket.
In Ondo, Tunji Abayomi, an associate of Akeredolu was screened out while Ajayi Borrofice, who is not on the same page with the governor, was given an automatic ticket to return to the senate.
Akeredolu had described the NWC action as unconstitutional, saying the committee declared war on the APC.
Among the governors at the ongoing meeting are Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun).
In Zamfara, the NWC panel cancelled the primary following violence involving aspirants and some state government officials.
Kabi Marafa, a senator who is among the aspirants, had accused the governor of setting the state on fire.
In Imo, Okorocha suffered setback in his bid to make Uche Nwosu, his son-in-law clinch the APC ticket for the 2019 election.
There was also crisis in Ogun as the NWC panel postponed the primary election but the state chapter of the ruling party held an exercise and declared Abiodun Akinlade, the governor’s candidate winner.