Osinbajo, Tinubu, Saraki, Atiku, others in crucial meeting

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday met with the leadership of All Progressives Congress, APC, National Assembly and other party chieftains behind closed door at the Presidential Villa.

The meeting, which lasted about four hours, started at 11a.m. and ended at 3p.m.

Curiously, the meeting was held at a time President Muhammadu Buhari is on a week-long trip to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to hold talks on efforts to stabilise falling oil prices.

Present at the meeting were former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; Senate President, Bukola Saraki; National Leader, Bola Tinubu; National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuf.

Others were Secretary to the Government of the Federation, David Lawal Babachir; APC former Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; Deputy Chairman, South West, Chief Segun Oni; Senate Leader, Ali Ndume; Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; former Information Minister, Prince Tony Momoh and Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere.

Shortly before the end of the meeting, Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, (Office of the Vice President), Senator Babafemi Ojudu, told State House correspondents who had been waiting for the outcome of the meeting, said there would not be any interview.

He said it was a consultative meeting of leaders over party affairs and that they should be allowed to go without any interview.

All those who attended declined to speak with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting. As Tinubu was about to enter his vehicle, correspondents probed him further on issues that were discussed, but he also declined comment.

But in a terse statement he later issued, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said: 'Select leaders of All Progressives Congress, APC, drawn from the party's national headquarters, the legislative and executive arms of government had a consultative meeting on issues affecting the party and the nation.

'The meeting, which held at the Vice President's conference room, was very useful and resourceful towards achieving the goals of the party and the government.'

There had been frosty relationship between the legislature and the executive as well as internal wrangling in the party. For Saraki, he is still standing trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false declaration of asset. – National Mirror