It has been reported that the presidency has released a list of state governors that will pay President Buhari a visit.
The list comprises of seven state governors who are said to have departed last Tuesday July 25th from Nigeria to the UK.
These governors include Zamfara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Abdulaziz Yari who is leading the delegation of governors.
Dave Umahi of Kano state, Umar Gandoje of Borno state, Kassim Shettima of Benue state, Samuel Ortom of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel and Abiola Ajumobi of Oyo state.
The presidential media team, comprising of Garba Shehu, Femi Adesina and Laolu Akande revealed to the correspondents on Tuesday July 25 that the governors will be meeting the President Today, Wednesday July 26 2017 in London.
“The delegation is being led by the governor of Zamfara, who is the chairman of the Governors’ Forum.
In that delegation there will be the governors of Ebonyi, Kano, Borno, Benue, Akwa Ibom and Oyo states.
They will leave tonight and make an early morning arrival in the UK.
Femi Adesina added that selecting these governors was solely done by the Governors’ Forum.
He tackled the idea that Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti, a critic of President Buhari’s administration, was deliberately excluded from the trip.
“The selection was not done by the government.
It was done by the Governors’ Forum and you can see that the delegation is headed by Gov. Yari, who is chairman of that forum.
So, that question should then go to the forum.’’
Adesina announced that the president is recuperating very fast and he prefers receiving delegations rather than addressing the nation through broadcast.
According to the SSA the governors are simply going on goodwill visit, nothing more.
“I believe Nigerians in various positions have been yearning to go visit the President and at some point this obviously has not been permitted.
But given the change in circumstances you can see that is coming from London itself and from the President is welcoming. It is a goodwill visit.”
He buttressed his point indicating that Nigerians who are cultural people tend to always visit individuals who have been discharged from the hospital.
“Nigerians visit people leaving hospital and I’m sure the president himself will be delighted to see people coming from the six geo-political zones, coming to convey the goodwill of Nigerians”.
When asked why the President’s media handlers were not part of the visiting team, Shehu responded stating that the President’s Personal photographer Bayo Omoboriwo would be present.
Bayo would be there among the governors in order to take pictures and release them to Nigerians.
“Well, how about you thinking about it this way, probably we will be saving money.
Let me tell you, you know I have respects for photographers, we all do and the cameramen.
Bayo Omoboriwo is on the flight which is more important than me being there, which he is.
They say pictures convey more than a thousand words.
Bayo will be there and I think it will be more beneficial to Nigerians than if the Special Adviser was on that trip without a cameraman.”
The media team also questioned the governors second visit despite the fact that the President was reported to be recuperating well.
Adesina responded using Shehu’s initial statement of the Nigerian culture which involves visiting one who has just been discharged.
“It should be the other way. Instead of being curious it should be the right time for the visit like Garba said earlier.
When somebody has recovered or something or the other happened, it is in our culture for us to visit such a person.”
Last Sunday, a delegation of All Progressives Congress (APC) governors were said to have also visited President Buhari at the Abuja house in London.
President Buhari has been in London for over 70 days for medical treatment.
