Senate President Bukola Saraki and some governors met with the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, and other leaders of the party on Wednesday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

The governors include Abdufatah Ahmed of Kwara State; Nysome Wike of Rivers State; Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State.

The meeting, which took place in Saraki’s residence in Ilorin, was held after the dignitaries attended a prayer session organised for the late mother of Abubakar Kawu Baraje.

A former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; Senator Lawal Shuaibu; Senator Barnabas Gemade and other prominent political figures were also in attendance at the meeting. Earlier reports had indicated that Ahmed, Tambuwal and Ortom were plotting to pull out of the APC.

On Monday, Ortom announced his defection from the APC noting that he had been given a “red card” in the ruling party and is currently exploring a new option to actualise his future ambition.

Although some of the leaders explained that the gathering was for a religious purpose, Rivers State Governor Wike after the closed-door meeting with Saraki said, that there is nothing wrong for political friends to come together and discuss.

“As top officials, we have come here to rally round him (Baraje) at this moment that he lost his lovely mother. We came here only for that purpose.

“And even if you say the meeting is for politics of course when you see your colleagues, you need to chat and compare notes from what you have been doing,” he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Ahmed says he is yet to take a decision on his political future with the APC.

A statement signed on Wednesday by his Senior Special Adviser on Media, Muyideen Akorede explained that his presence today in Ilorin, alongside that of the Senate President, Saraki, PDP Chairman, Secondus, Governors Ortom, Tambuwal, Wike, and other prominent political figures was for the burial rites of the late mother of the politician, Alhaji Kawu Baraje.

He said the meeting was not for the purpose of a political realignment and he is yet to be briefed on any planned defection. (ChannelsTV)

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