Buhari meets Yahaya Bello in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, met with the governor of Kogi State and presidential aspirant, Yahaya Bello, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Although the details of the meeting could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, it may not be unconnected to the governor’s refusal to attend the northern All Progressives Congress governors’ meeting with Buhari on Monday.

Bello was seen in a viral video yesterday leaving the venue of the northern APC governors’ meeting with the President.

Speaking on the development, Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, said Yahaya Bello didn’t align with the position of his counterparts on power shift to the south.

The northern governors, at the meeting with Buhari on Monday, reiterated their stance on zoning the presidential ticket of the ruling party to the southern part of the country.

Bello, while speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, said he won’t step down from the APC presidential race.

The governor stated that he remains the leading presidential aspirant of the party, stressing that only President Buhari can make him withdraw from the presidential race.

Governor Bello added that he was not consulted by the northern APC governors who issued a statement seeding power to the South.

The governor stressed that any attempt by the party to exclude him from participating in the presidential primaries on Tuesday would lead to a crisis in the party.

The Star had earlier reported that the northern APC governors have forwarded the names of five southern aspirants to President Buhari for consideration as a consensus presidential candidate.

The presidential aspirants shortlisted by the governors are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; APC national leader, Bola Tinubu; Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; his Ebonyi State counterpart, David Umahi; and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

The Star