Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said that the Progressive Governors Forum, PGF, were initially divided over the convention date of the party.
The division, he said, was between the governors who wanted to hold the Convention only after resolving the disagreements at the state levels, and those who wanted to hold it and resolve the state crises later.
El-Rufai said this on Tuesday while briefing State House Correspondents, shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa Abuja.
The Governor who spoke shortly after the address of the PGF Chairman, Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, however, said it was a mere disagreement, typical of any group, and does not constitute a major “division” in the forum.
He revealed that the governors have agreed on March 26 as the Convention date, and have secured the approval of the President.
On zoning, El-Rufai said Northern zones will take the positions southern zones have occupied in the last eight years.
Also Read: Buhari meets APC Govs
The PGF Chairman said that the party’s next Chairman would emerge from consensus.
According to Bagudu, the APC has chosen past chairmen, such as Bisi Akande, Dr John Oyegun and Adams Oshiomole based on consensus, and it would not be strange to do so this time around.
He also said that President Buhari has okayed the March 26 National Convention date, and agreed to the current timetable, as released by the Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee on Monday.
Bagudu maintained that the governors are united over these matters, and will forge ahead with preparations for the March 26 National Convention.
Bagudu explained that during the meeting, the governors congratulated the President for the 3.4 per cent Gross Domestic Product growth that was recorded for 2021, which surpassed all estimates, both domestic and international.
He said they also thanked the President for the major transformational projects that are taking place in all the six geo-political zones of the country.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
