President Muhammadu Buhari met behind closed doors with members of the 18 state governors of the APC Governors’ Forum in Daura, Katsina State on Friday.

Three of the governors were represented by their deputies at the meeting, which started at about 2.45 p.m.

The governors attending the meeting include the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum and Zamfara Governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari; Rochas Okorocha (Imo); Abubakar Muhammed (Bauchi); Kashim Shettima (Borno); Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and Malam Nasir El-Rufa’I of Kaduna State.

Others are Gov. Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa, Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano); Godwin Obaseki of Edo; Yahaya Bello (Kogi); Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); Abubakar Sani-Bello (Niger) and Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State, while the governors of Benue, Osun and Ogun were represented by their deputies. The governors of Yobe and Plateau were also represented at the meeting.

Details of the meeting were kept under wraps but an Aso Rock insider and one who is familiar with the intrigues and power-play in the Presidency told our reporter that the governors went to commiserate with the President who lost two close relations in quick succession recently but added that as politicians, the governors also talked politics with the President.

“The crucial general elections of 2019 also came up for discussion with many of the governors insisting that Buhari should run in 2019. Some of the governors openly mounted pressure of the President to run.