Convention: Dogara absent as Buhari hosts APC caucus

By Lawrence Olaoye

Soeaker of the House if Representativives, Yakubu Dogara, was conspicuously absent yesterday as President Muhammadu Buhari played host to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Caucus members at the Presidential Villa.
Although the agenda of the meeting were not disclosed to newsmen, there were indications that they may not be unconnected with the task of deliberating on the date and venue of the national convention of the party where the Presidential candidate of the party would be decided.
It was gathered that the caucus was also to agree on what method to adopt for the conduct of the convention.
There have been controversies on whether the party should adopt direct or delegate congress system.
They were also to decide whether the congress would be held in Lagos or Abuja.
The meeting which started exactly by 8:30 pm had in attendance critical stakeholders of the ruling party.
Former governor of Delta state, Emmanuel Uduaghan, who has yet to publicly declare for the party, was also at the meeting.
Others at the meeting chaired by the President included the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, and the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole.
The serving governors on the platform of the party at the meeting were those of Borno, Jigawa, Niger, Plateau, Kogi, Adamawa, Ondo, Kano, Ogun, Oyo, Katsina, Osun, Yobe, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Imo, and Lagos states.
Also at the meeting were Segun Oni, Femi Gbajabiamila, former Ebonyi State Governor, Martin Elechi, former Borno State Governor, Ali-Modu Sheriff, former Lagos State Governor, Buba Marwa, Lawrence Onoja, Jim Nwobodo, Kabiru Gaya.
Others were former APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, former Enugu State Governor, Sylva Chime, former Edo State Governor, Osahamehen Osunbor and former Bayelsa state governor, Timipre Silva.
Also in attendance were the former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, former Ekiti State governor, Niyi Adebayo, former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Goodwill Akpabio, former Bayelsa State Governor, Don Etiebet, and the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed.