“The challenge before us is working in unison with the party leadership and the National Assembly over the election of their principal officers. And I charge you to unite in spirit and faith and work in line with the party,” Tinubu.
President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday in Abuja, met with the All Progressives Congress governors who paid him a courtesy visit and urged them to work with the party leadership and lawmakers on the election of principal officers of the National Assembly.
“We thank God Almighty for our electoral victory. It was tough and turbulent.
“The challenge before us is working in unison with the party leadership and the National Assembly over the election of their principal officers. And I charge you to unite in spirit and faith and work in line with the party,” he said.
The president-elect told the governors and former governorship candidates of the party that “whether you return or not, this is our government.
“Once we know what we are doing and communicating as elected leaders and loyal party men, we will conquer the challenge.”
He reiterated his earlier admonitions that, as leaders, they were elected to serve the people and humanity with fairness and justice.
Sounding emotional, Tinubu expressed gratitude to God that he, “the first Muslim minority from the South-west got the blessing of Allah to be elected president.”
Dismissing speculations about his health, the president-elect said: “All speculation has perished and their purveyors brought to shame.”
The Chairman of the Progressive Governors, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, who led his colleagues to Mr Tinubu’s residence, said the visit was to congratulate the president-elect on his election, extend goodwill to him over the end of Ramadan Fast and welcome him back from his recent travel and celebrate with him.
He also said the governors were ready for any assignment the president-elect may give them.
On the task concerning the election of presiding officers of the National Assembly, Mr Bagudu pledged that the governor would continue to discuss and work with the party and the lawmakers to arrive at the best decision in the interest of the country.
The governors had recently proposed a zoning formula for the choice of the leadership of the National Assembly.
They recommended the zoning of the Senate President to either the South-east or the South-south regions and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to either the North-west or the North-central regions.
Among those in attendance were Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima and Governors Simon Lalong (Plateau), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Aminu Masari (Katsina), Hope Uzodinnma (Imo), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Ben Ayade (Cross Rivers), AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq (Kwara), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti).
There were also the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Kelechi Igwe and APC governorship candidate in Kano State, Nasiru Gawuna.