The governors protested to Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at a meeting they had at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Many of the governors are very angry.
A source, who spoke with Punch on condition of anonymity, said the larger meeting was devoted to encouraging the President on the 21 Chibok girls recently released by Boko Haram, agriculture, the ongoing anti-corruption war and the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State.
The source stated that the larger meeting, which also had in attendance political appointees like the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and some presidential aides, lasted for a few minutes.
“During the larger meeting, the governors said they would like six of them to meet with the President and the Vice-President alone, but they did not disclose the agenda of the meeting then,” he added.
At the second meeting, it was learnt that the governors expressed their displeasure with the way they were being sidelined while deciding who would benefit from federal appointments in their states.
The source gave the names of the six governors, who attended the meeting with the President and Vice-President as Rochas Okorocha (Imo); Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara); Simon Lalong (Plateau); Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna).
“The meeting was held right inside the President’s office. Presidential aides, including the SGF, were not part of that meeting. It was just between the President and the Vice-President on one hand and the six governors on the other hand.
“They told the President clearly that they wanted to discuss issues of national importance with him and that the six governors would represent them,” the source added.
The Plateau State Governor, Lalong, confirmed this development to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.
Lalung said the President had asked that state governors, who had complaints, to put them in writing while promising to look into them.
“So, all the states that have complaints are going to put them into writing and the President promised that he is going to look into it.”
The source stated that the larger meeting, which also had in attendance political appointees like the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and some presidential aides, lasted for a few minutes.
“During the larger meeting, the governors said they would like six of them to meet with the President and the Vice-President alone, but they did not disclose the agenda of the meeting then,” he added.
At the second meeting, it was learnt that the governors expressed their displeasure with the way they were being sidelined while deciding who would benefit from federal appointments in their states.
The source gave the names of the six governors, who attended the meeting with the President and Vice-President as Rochas Okorocha (Imo); Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara); Simon Lalong (Plateau); Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna).
“The meeting was held right inside the President’s office. Presidential aides, including the SGF, were not part of that meeting. It was just between the President and the Vice-President on one hand and the six governors on the other hand.
“They told the President clearly that they wanted to discuss issues of national importance with him and that the six governors would represent them,” the source added.
The Plateau State Governor, Lalong, confirmed this development to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.
Lalung said the President had asked that state governors, who had complaints, to put them in writing while promising to look into them.
“So, all the states that have complaints are going to put them into writing and the President promised that he is going to look into it.”
