New Telegraph

Buhari may hold virtual meeting with South East APC leaders

…over IPOB stay-at-home threat

 

President Muhammadu Buhari may opt for a virtual meeting with South-East All Progressives Congress stakeholders on Thursday instead of physically visiting the region, following the stay-at-order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), New Telegraph has learnt.

 

New Telegraph reported last week that the President would be meeting with South-East APC  stakeholders this week. This was confirmed by Imo State Governor and APC leader in the South-East Chief Hope Uzodimma. Speaking at the Sam Mbakwe Airport on Buhari’s visit to Imo on Thursday, Uzodimma said,

“We have secured approval for the President to visit Imo State on Thursday, September 9, 2021, to inaugurate some projects put together by our Shared Prosperity Administration.”

 

But IPOB has issued a stay-at-home order to South-East residents against the President’s visit. The leader of the separatist group Nnamdi, Kanu, who is facing treason charges, is being detained by the Department of State Services (DSS).

 

A source close to a top APC leader in the South- East said his principal might not be in Imo to receive the President as he might have decided to meet with the leaders of the ruling party in the region virtually. He said: “It would be embarrassing for the President to visit the zone and people would not be able to come out to receive him.

 

“As you know it would be expected that APC stakeholders in the South-East should converge on Imo State.

 

“The visit of the President to the zone at this point in time might lead to serious bloodshed and l think this the President is trying to avoid.” However, attempts made to have the Presi  dency react to the alleged planned virtual meeting were not successful.

The Special Adviser Media to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu, did not respond the SMS and WhatsApp message sen  to him. Meanwhile, Uzodimma has called for a meeting of South-East APC stakeholders today.

 

The meeting, according to a leader of the party in the region, is for them to articulate what would be presented to the President as their demand. The South-East is one of the zones agitating for APC’s ticket for the 2023 presidential poll.

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