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APC Govs Absent At Buhari’s Campaign Council Meeting …Okorocha, Nnamani, Ministers Shun APC Campaign Meeting In Enugu
None of the 24 state governors elected under the platform of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) are present at the ongoing inaugural meeting of the presidential campaign council of the party being chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The governors are part of the council as coordinators for their own states.
The council was inaugurated Monday by President Buhari at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The meeting is currently holding at the conference hall of State House Presidential Villa Abuja.
It is attended by almost all the other members of the council and is co-chaired by former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu.
It is not clear why the governors are not at the event, but President Buhari recently told Nigerian voters not to re-elect any governor who failed to pay workers salaries after receiving bailout funds from the federal government.
President Buhari had while inaugurating the council announced that Bola Tinubu will take full charge of his re-election campaign.
However, it was gathered that President Buhari will be attending campaign rallies in Kaduna, Bauchi and Gombe states over the weekend.
A source at the presidential villa said President Buhari will travel to Kaduna tomorrow, Bauchi on Saturday and Gombe on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the national chairman of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has said the 24 governors elected under the platform of the party stayed away from the inaugural meeting of the Presidential campaign council simply because “they are governors”.
None of the governors were present yesterday at the inaugural meeting of the council chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Asked why the governors were absent, Oshiomhole said: “because they are governors, they are governing their states.
“Don’t forget that elections are not defined in Abuja, it will take place in the 36 states and I am sure there are APC members who are campaigning for the House of Assembly, various federal house and senate constituencies, governorship constituencies.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election campaign kicked off on a low note in the Southeast yesterday as Owelle Rochas Okorocha, the only South East Governor of All Progressives Congress (APC), failed to attend the first strategy meeting of the zonal campaign council in Enugu.
Others, who were noticeably absent include former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, former Anambra State Governor, Chief Jim Nwobodo, four Ministers from the South East, Chris Ngige (Labour), Geofrey Onyeama (Foreign Affairs), Anthony Anwuka (Education/State Minister) and Okechukwu Enelama (Trade and Investment).
Ogbonnaya Onu, the Minister of Science and Technology was the only Minister from the South East that attended the closed door strategy meeting, convened by Miss Sharon Ikeazor, the Director of Buhari Campaign Council, South East.
The meeting was earlier scheduled to start by 10.am but it was delayed for several hours, following the absence of some key stakeholders.
It eventually commenced by 1.pm when it was obvious that Okorocha and other key stakeholders were not coming.
Some inside sources who confided in journalists, blamed the absence of notable South East APC leaders on their dissatisfaction with the appointment of Miss Ikeazor, a political rookie without any electoral antecedents as the Director of the Buhari Campaign in the South East.
Most of the APC leaders were said to have seen her appointment as an attempt by President Buhari to add salt to the injury already inflicted on Ndigbo by his administration.
Answering questions from journalists after the first session, Miss Ikeazor played down the absence of Okorocha and others from the meeting, saying that workings of government cannot ground to a halt because of politics.
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The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has directed his lawyers to withdraw all ongoing defamation lawsuits against several individuals, saying he was moved by counsel during a New Year Mass.
Speaking at the Sacred Heart Parish in Uyo, yesterday, Akpabio said he had filed nearly nine lawsuits against individuals he accused of defaming him.
He said, “I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name.
“But I listened to the priest and suddenly realised he was talking to me, so I hereby direct my solicitor to withdraw all lawsuits against them.”
In 2025, Akpabio had filed several high-profile defamation lawsuits, including one against colleague Senator Natasha Akpoti?Uduaghan.
In late 2025, Akpabio filed a N200 billion defamation lawsuit against her over allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied and urged her to substantiate in court.
Earlier in the year, Akpabio’s wife also filed defamation suits against Akpoti?Uduaghan over claims she said had harmed her family’s reputation.
Relations between the two lawmakers soured after Akpoti?Uduaghan accused Akpabio of influencing her suspension from the Senate in March 2025, following her public allegations of misconduct.
The Senator had previously challenged actions taken against her in court, including a N100 billion defamation suit she filed against Akpabio and other defendants over alleged remarks that she said damaged her reputation.
With yesterday’s announcement, Akpabio has formally ended all pending legal disputes arising from defamation claims, signalling closure to the publicised litigations as the year begins.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the best form of gratitude Rivers people owe President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for protecting the interest of the State is to galvanize massive support for the President in 2027.
Fubara disclosed this last Monday during the commissioning of Permanent Secretaries Quarters built by his administration at Elimgbu in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of the State.
He said that the State has what it takes to deliver the President during the 2027 general elections.
“We’ve taken a decision,our decision is for the good of Rivers State, our decision is to say thank you for the protection we have from Mr President, our decision is to prove that we have what it takes to deliver Mr President.”
Fubara expressed delight over the completion of the project, stating that the initiative was to provide accommodation, a basic need of life for public servants in the state to improve their productivity.
He explained that lack of effective social welfare was at the root of some incriminating actions that undermine the purpose of governance, noting that the commissioning of the newly built Permanent Secretaries Quarters marks a significant milestone in civil service welfare and institutional development.
“Insecurity begins when individuals are uncertain of what the next hour holds. This situation is especially challenging for family men and women, affecting confidence and decision-making,” he observed.
Fubara emphasized the need for proper maintenance of the facility and urged the beneficiaries to protect the project like a personal property, while directing the State Head of Service to appoint a facility manager to ensure long-term maintenance.
In her remarks, the Special Guest of Honour and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who unveiled the project, expressed appreciation to the governor and Rivers State for inviting her to commission the project.
She commended Fubara for prioritizing the welfare of Permanent Secretaries who are senior public servants and accounting officers, noting that the project reflects purposeful and visionary leadership, and urged other states to borrow a cue from the Rivers State Governor.
Walson-Jack described the initiative as a strategic investment in staff welfare and institutional continuity which she noted is in line with Renewed Hope Initiative on provision of mass housing and social stability.
“The commissioning of these houses reflect a deliberate commitment to the dignity, welfare, and productivity of senior public servants responsible for policy coordination and service delivery,” she said.
In his goodwill message, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibode Bashiru, who led a high powered delegation on a visit to the governor, congratulated Rivers people for aligning with the Pan Nigerian political party, assuring that the interest of Rivers State will be duly protected in the APC.
He described President Bola Tinubu as a detribalised Nigerian who anchors his leadership on equity, fairness and justice, adding that the APC will provide a level playing ground for all.
The APC chief scribe also commended Fubara for providing good accommodation for public servants, stating that it will address issues of sabotage, compromise and disloyalty on the part of public servants.
Giving the project description, Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Works, Dr. Austin Ezekiel-Hart, said the estate comprises 29 units, including nine standalone duplexes and 20 terrace buildings.
Facilities feature a water treatment plant, synchronized power generators, CCTV and alarm systems, a gym, recreational areas, and green spaces—designed to enhance comfort, performance, and productivity.
Earlier, the Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, Dr Mrs Inyingi Brown, had thanked the governor for his visionary initiative and unwavering commitment to the welfare of Rivers State Civil Servants, and restated the commitment of the State civil servants to the success of Fubara’s administration.
By: Taneh Beemene
