From Fred Itua and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, met with some members of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) at his official residence, Akinola Aguda House, in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, as part of consultations on his 2023 presidential aspiration.
It was learnt that the meeting was to intimate the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors of his plan to officially declare to contest the position.
As at 6:45pm yesterday, Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’i, his Ogun State counterpart, Dapo Abiodun, Hope Uzodinma of Imo and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos states, were sighted at the venue of the meeting.
Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun, a source said, was represented by his deputy, as he was away in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for the lesser Hajj (Umrah).
Journalists were denied entry into the venue of the meeting, which seemed exclusive to only the invited governors and their aides.
A sources, however, said Osinbajo held an Iftar dinner with the governors and discussed his plans to continue consultations with other critical stakeholders, especially in the National Assembly over his presidential bid.
“He felt the need to inform the governors ahead of a planned public declaration Monday of his decision to contest presidency in 2023 under the APC platform. Being the chairman of NEC in the last seven years, he had an excellent relationship with governors across party lines, ethnicities and religions.
“Most of the governors are also members or directors of some federation owned agencies where the vice president is the chairman and their relationships in these agencies have also deepened the bonds, producing a robust relationship.
“Practically all the governors are very well disposed to him and vice versa over the years as he has actually become a champion of states, even as the Buhari administration has come to the aid of governors with some different financial bailouts and refund of Paris debt. Invited are both Muslims and non-Muslim governors with sufficient representation from all political zones in the country,” the source said.