The governors’ endorsement was conveyed to the president at a dinner they reached with him during which President Buhari also gave reasons for the sluggishness that has characterised his first term in office.
The president who hosted the governors and selected members of the National Executive Committee, NEC of the APC to a dinner in the Presidential Villa on Thursday night also used the opportunity to thank the party and the governors for the support they gave him in realising his presidential ambition.
The APC governors have also endorsed Buhari’s appointment of the minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi as the director-general of his campaign and have vowed to handle the campaigns themselves at the zonal level.
Presidency aides last night shied away from responding to the development. Chairman of the APC Governors Forum, Governor Rochas Okorocha confirmed the endorsement of the president while speaking with reporters at Owerri Airport on his return from a three day trip to Abuja during which the issue of the president’s run for a second term was finalised by the governors.
His words “We have been in Abuja for three days holding meetings of the Progressive Governors with the APC leadership. We deliberated on so many issues. First among the very important issues that we discussed, was the issue of Mr. President’s second term bid and it has the endorsement of all the governors of APC. There is need for him to complete his second term as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and he should go ahead to declare”.
He said “We also deliberated and a unanimous decision was reached that we liaise with the campaign team to be headed by the Minister of Transport, Chief Amaechi as the Director-General. The governors also endorsed his re-appointment as the Director-General of the Campaign team due to his track record during the last election”.
He continued “Four years is not enough to show what the President can offer. We believe that another four years will bring out the best in him. The first four years is a very difficult period, and we believe that as things are stabilizing, he will take Nigeria to the next level. The Governors have serious responsibilities. All the Governors were asked to put up a team as the campaign council”. The governor further stated “We all agreed that we should move the same way in order to achieve better results.
This time, we all agreed that we governors have serious responsibilities. In the meeting, we resolved that governors should head other zonal and State outfits of this campaign. All the governors were asked to put up a team, a credible team, as members of the Campaign Council”.
He remarked “So, I’m back home to liaise with the people of the South-East leaders of APC and see how we can come up with a strong team so that our story in Imo State and South-East would be a different story unlike what it used to be before. So we urge all South-Easterners and all of my brothers and Sisters, the Igbos, to come together now and let’s change our story and play the National Politics”.