Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal and the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, on Saturday met with Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike, barely 12 hours after they attacked the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Senator Bola Tinubu over the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
The meeting was held at Wike’s country home in Rumueprikom, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Wike, a strong member of the PDP, is currently at loggerheads with the presidential candidate of his party, Atiku.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Dogara said the visit was hinged on the quest and search to build an all-inclusive Nigeria.
“Everyone agrees with us that Governor Wike is one of those indispensable political leaders. For us, it is a search to build an all-inclusive Nigeria. So, we feel that as part of the agenda-setting we should meet with him and that is the reason why we are here. And for the rest, whatever it is, maybe in the future we can discuss that.”
Similarly, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation explained that their mission was a brotherly visit to the governor of Rivers State.
“We came to visit our brother. He (Wike) is our brother. So, now and then, the Bible enjoins you to visit one another. That is what we just did.”
Lawal said the interaction with the governor had nothing to do with the meeting with some northern leaders held in Abuja on Friday.
“No; there are many things that are in the world for which you need to visit a brother; so, it has nothing to do with our meeting in Abuja.”
At the Abuja meeting, Dogara and Lawal had rejected the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the APC.
Dogara and Lawal and some Christian chieftains at the ‘APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit’ held in Abuja on Friday, had rejected the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the APC.
They threatened to sink the party for fielding a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
Lawal and Dogara, in their separate presentations at the event, urged northern Christians not to surrender to the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC.
They and others who spoke urged Christians in the North to speak with one voice against the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.
Dogara, who said that APC was now looking like a ‘janjaweed’ party, also said Tinubu made a fatal error of judgment in his running mate choice, adding that the Nigeria of 2022 is not that of 1993.”
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
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