Five northern governors meet Babangida, Abdulsalami over Rivers, other crises

FIVE governors yesterday sought the intervention of two former heads of state in resolving some of the nation’s crises.

The five northern governors were Sule Lamido (Jigawa State), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Muazu Babangida Aliyu (Niger).
They met with two former military leaders, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar in Minna, Niger State.
The visit came barely two days after the same governors met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his residence in Ota, Ogun State.
Yesterday’s meeting which began at about 12.20 p.m. at the Presidential Lodge opposite the Government House, Minna, lasted for two hours.
The two former leaders arrived at the venue accompanied by their security aides.
In an interview with journalists shortly after the meeting, Babangida, who described the governors as patriots for their bold step towards finding lasting solutions to some of the nation’s problems, said: “I just want to commend the governors here and some of their colleagues. I was very impressed because they see the problem of this country as our problem and they have taken the right step to consult widely in trying to find solutions to some of the leading problems.”
Speaking on behalf of others after the meeting, Aliyu said it was a platform that could be used to actualise some political dreams.

“Now we are consulting with our elders and leaders to look at some of the problems and solutions to the problems that some of us perceive we are facing, simple,” he said.
“The solution to the Governors Forum’s crisis, political issues which have come up … we are consulting to make sure that we all understand the issues and we will all come out with solutions, and we will also carry our people together as we go along.”
When asked on the next line of action towards resolving some of the political crises, Aliyu said “we are still consulting.”
Responding to questions on the lingering crisis in Rivers State, he said: “There is no gathering in Nigeria now that the Rivers’ issue will not come up, but our meeting today is a larger issue than even the Governors’ Forum. We are discussing how to solve the crises.”