Ahead of out-of-circle gubernatorial elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states in November, All Progressives Congress (APC) governors met Thursday with the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Gandujein Abuja.
The governors, under the aegis of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), met behind closed doors with the former Kano state governor to discuss the party’s winning strategy ahead of three offseason gubernatorial elections.
Ganduje, who recently emerged as party chairman after the departure of his predecessor, Abdulahi Adamu, is facing his first litmus test in office.
Adamu faced accusations of mismanaging funds to run the Osun state elections in 2022, where the party lost to the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
The ruling party is trying to hold on to Imo State, where the PGF Chairman, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, is facing re-election.
Uzodinma emerged as governor of the southeastern state following a controversial Supreme Court order that fired Emeka Ihedioha.
Similarly, the party seeks to retain the governorship in Kogi state as Governor Yahaya Bello’s term is coming to an end.
Bello and APC are campaigning for Usman Ododo, the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the state.
The ruling party is also seeking to regain Bayelsa status after it lost it following another controversial court ruling that ousted David Lyon, the APC candidate. But in this electoral circle, the party presents the ex-governor Timipre Sylva.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Uzodinma said it was about strategizing for the elections.
“The Progressive Governors Forum is like a family. We are the biggest party family in Africa. We took the opportunity to listen to the chairman of our national party, who came to inform us about the activities of the party and the proposed reforms that he intends to carry out in the party,” he said.
APC moves forward to reconcile Uzodinma and Okorocha
Meanwhile, earlier on Thursday, Ganduje and Vice President Kashim Shettima held a meeting with Uzodinma and his political rival, former Governor Rochas Okorocha, ahead of the election.
Former Imo State Governor and former All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential hopeful Rochas Okorocha paid a congratulatory visit to the party’s national chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The meeting was held at the Presidential Villa.
In a party post on X (formerly known as Twitter), the party said the meeting was about uniting the House.
“Vice President Kashim Shettima, our National President Abdullahi Ganduje, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma and Senator Rochas Okorocha parleyed,” the party published.
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“Ahead of the Imo state gubernatorial election, APC is a united and strong house.”
Messrs Okorocha and Uzodinma have been at loggerheads since the 2018 Imo State primary election.
Okorocha had handpicked his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, to succeed him, but was outmaneuvered by Uzodinma, forcing Nwosu to defect to the Action Alliance (AA), where he contested the March 2019 election.
However, Messrs. Nwosu and Uzodinma were defeated by the PDP candidate, Mr. Ihedioha, in the main elections.
However, in 2020, Mr. Ihedioha was dismissed by the Supreme Court which declared Mr. Uzodinma, the APC candidate the winner of the election, even though he (Uzodinma) came fourth in the result announced by INEC.
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