Of the seven governors selected to visit ailing President Buhari in London, Ekiti State governor isn’t part of the delegation that included both APC a
Of the seven governors selected to visit ailing President Buhari in London, Ekiti State governor isn’t part of the delegation that included both APC and PDP governors. The governors are Ebonyi State’s Dave Umahi, Umar Gandoje of Kano State, Kassim Shettima of Borno State, the Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom who has been out of the country for about two weeks, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and Abiola Ajumobi of Oyo state, led by the Chairman of Governors Forum, Abdulaziz Yari.
The presidency exonerated itself from the selection of the seven governors visiting Buhari in London, saying that the selection was handled by the governors forum. The presidency also said that the non inclusion of the media team especially television or newspapers could be to save money.
The special adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said the presidency had no hand in the selection of the delegates to London. Adesina who made the clarification while fielding questions on why Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State who is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party was left out on the delegation said,
“The selection was by the governor’s forum and you will see that the delegation is headed by governor Yari who is chairman of that forum. So that question should go to the forum.”
He explained that unlike the previous visit to the president made by only members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) governors, this delegation was on a broader platform, the NGF, with membership also drawn from the opposition. Adesina however informed that he did not have information on who was sponsoring the trip. On why the president is shying away from the broadcast option to address Nigerians, he said, “It is a question of what he prefers and this is what he prefers for now. He would rather receive that delegation and that is what is happening. If the president opts for the broadcast option he will do it.”
He further explained that the reason for the visit is because it is the best time for the president to receive visitors as he was recovering. He said: “Instead of being curious, it should be the right time for the visit. When somebody has recovered or something has happened, it’s in our culture to visit such a person. So, this is the right time to visit the president because the news is that he is recovering and recovering well.”
The presidential aide was unable to confirm the date of two weeks’ time for the return of the president as announced by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state. Okorocha, who led APC governors and party leaders to see Buhari last Wednesday, had assured that the president could return to Nigeria within two weeks. However, Adesina insisted that only the president’s doctors could determine his exact date of return. The spokesman noted that if anybody had put a date on Buhari’s return, the person could have information that is not available to the media team.
Also the Senior Special Assistant to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, described it as a goodwill visit. According to him, “The visit is a goodwill visit and there is nothing more than that. I believe Nigerians in various position have yearned to go meet the president and at some point this obviously has not been permitted. “But given the change in circumstances, you can see that coming from London itself and from the president is welcoming. It is a goodwill visit.”
On the absence of a presidential media aide on the London trip, he said it may be a way for government to save money. He said: “Well, how about you thinking about it this way? Probably, we will be saving money. “Let me tell you, you know I have respects for photographers, we all do and the cameramen. Bayo Omoboriwo (personal photographer to the President), is on the flight which is more important than me being there, which he is. They say a picture conveys more than a thousand words. Bayo will be there and I think it will be more beneficial to Nigerians than if the Special Adviser was on that trip without a cameraman.”
Vanguard
