Few days after President Muhammadu Buhari indicated a template for his successor in the forthcoming APC Presidential Primaries, governors of the ruling party are beginning to rally around Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who is believed to fit the president’s description.
Several APC governors were sighted in the Presidential Villa meeting with Osinbajo and the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, in what sources say may be a move likely to result in a consensus presidential candidate for the party.
According to reports, governors sighted in the Villa between Wednesday and Friday included those of Kano, Ogun, Ekiti, Gombe, Nasarawa and Ebonyi.
The reports said a clear majority of the 22 governors on the platform of the ruling party under the aegis of the Progressive Governors Forum appeared to have agreed on supporting the candidature of Mr Osinbajo, ahead of the primaries commencing on Monday.
According to the reports, more Northern governors including those of Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa and Gombe are said to be opposed to a Northern presidential candidate for APC.
The governors held a series of meetings at the Kebbi State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, on Tuesday, after meeting with the President.
The meetings were initially deadlocked on who to support as APC presidential flag bearer.
However, after reconvening, reports emanating from the meeting indicated that the governors had agreed that the presidency should be zoned to the South, with Osinbajo as the candidate.
“The heroes of this whole thing are the governors of Borno, Nasarawa and Gombe who even though are from the North, argued that the Vice President from the South fits the bill perfectly.
“Kaduna and Borno governors were also of the same view but the Kaduna governor has not been seen in the Villa this week.
“He was represented by his deputy at the meeting with the president on Tuesday,” the reports quoted a source as saying.