APC govs protest,Okorocha says right thing must be done over ‘rancorous’ primaries

The chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Rochas Okorocha, on Thursday said the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress must do the right thing and allow everybody to participate in its ongoing nationwide primaries.

Okorocha, who is the Imo State governor, said this in a brief interview with State House correspondents after leading eight other state governors elected on the platform of the APC to a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

All the governors who met behind closed-doors with the President are believed to have issues with party primaries in their states.

Okorocha confirmed that the meeting was about the rancorous party primaries across the country.

He expressed the belief that the party leadership would rescind some of its decision on the matter, saying the APC believes in justice, equity and fairness.

He said, “We came to review the various crises characterising our primaries, with a view to finding solution.

“So, we are looking for a way out in this regard. We are going to find solution; our party believes in justice, equity and fairness.

“We are requesting that let the right thing be done and let everyone contest the elections.”

Apart from Okorocha, other governors who attended the meeting were Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Sani Bello (Niger), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), and Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa).

Akeredolu and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State had, on Wednesday, met the President on the same matter.

The meeting between the President and the governors lasted about two hours.

At the end of the meeting, the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, who was part of the meeting, led the state governors out of the venue.

Kyari also left the Presidential Villa with them.

After accompanying the governors to where their cars were parked, Abba Kyari also entered his car and was driven out of the premises.

It was not clear whether they were heading to the same place.