Oshiomhole absent as Buhari, APC governors meet in Aso Rock

The National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, was conspicuously absent on Thursday as President Muhammadu Buhari met with governors elected under the ruling party.

The meeting which took place in the President’s office at the presidential villa, Abuja, was also attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.

State Governors present at the meeting include Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Atiku Bagudu (Kebb)i, Abubakar Bello (Niger), Ababkar Badaru (Jigawa), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Abdulahi Sule (Nasarawa), Babagana Zulum (Borno), and Godwin Obaseki (Edo), while Kogi was represented by the deputy governor, David Onoja.

The agenda of the closed-door was not disclosed.

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At the end the meeting, the governors declined to speak when approached by State House correspondents.

However, it was gathered that the meeting may not be unconnected with the party crisis in Edo State.

The absence of Oshiomhole raised eyebrows as he was known to be a principal character in the raging party crisis in Edo State.

Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Felix Okiye, only on Wednesday, declared vacant, the seats of 12 members-elect and another two who were earlier inaugurated but have not been attending the house sessions.

All affected 14 persons are loyal to Oshiomhole.

Okiye had urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct bye-elections for the affected constituencies within 90 days.

The situation in the Edo APC was said to be concerning to President Buhari.