We are not worried over Buhari’s health yet – APC govs
We
are not worried over Buhari’s health yet – APC govs
Nigerian
President Mohammadu Buhari addresses members of his cabinet upon his arrival at
the presidency in Abuja, on March 10, 2017. President Muhammadu Buhari arrived
back in Nigeria on Friday after nearly two months in London receiving treatment
for an undisclosed ailment. AFP/Sunday Aghaeze
The All Progressives Congress (APC) governors forum yesterday
maintained that there was nothing awkward on the absence of President Muhammadu
Buhari at the weekly federal executive council (FEC) meeting.
Governor Nasir
Ahmed El-Rufai who spoke on behalf of the twenty-four-member governors’ forum
noted: “We are not worried about the development. It is not compulsory for Mr
President to preside at every federal executive council meeting. That is why
our Constitution makes provision for a vice president. Mr President is over 70
years old and it is such at that age to have one medical challenge or the
other.
“Even I at 57 take medication for one ailment or another. Our
prayer is that the president gets better and we’ll. But the Emerson why he has
the vice president is precisely for this reason. It may not be because he has a
medical challenge that he didn’t go to the executive council meeting. He may
have other pressing matters to attend.
“I have not chaired every executive council meeting in Kaduna even
when I am in Kaduna because my deputy governor is there if there are other
things to attend that are of greater priority than the council meeting. We are
not worried yet. There is no concern to be worried but we ask Nigerians to join
all of us in praying for the president improved health. ”
El-Rufai who
briefed reporters on the outcome of their closed door parley with members of
the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) hinted that the decision on when
to hold the party’s midterm convention would be taken next month.
The Kaduna State governor said there was nothing unusual about
conflict within the ranks of the party. He also stated that part of the
decision taken at in the parley was that the APC governors forum would be
holding a monthly meeting with members of the NWC aimed at reconciling aggrieved
members of the party and strengthening the party ahead of the 2019 poll.
He also disclosed
that the issue of how to source for funds from donors outside government
circles topped deliberations at the parley which had twenty governors in
attendance.