Jonathan Did Not Invite Us To The Security Meeting – APC Govs

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied reports that governors of the states under the aegis of the party shunned the expanded National Security Council meeting scheduled for Thursday by President Goodluck Jonathan to review the security situation in the country.
In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its interim national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the truth of the matter is that governors of APC-controlled states were given the impression that the meeting had been called off, hence they did not attend.
‘’On Wednesday, the Presidency called the chief detail of the Kwara State government to say that the meeting had been called off. On the basis of this information, which apparently got to other governors under the aegis of the APC, our governors did not attend.
‘’Now that the meeting has been held, it is incumbent on the Presidency to launch an investigation into the source of the call to the Kwara State government and what the call was meant to achieve.
‘’Irrespective of the totally unfounded and absolutely irresponsible allegation that the APC is behind the escalating security situation, our party will not shy away from any serious effort to end the terrorist attacks in our country. Therefore, it is not true that our governors shunned the meeting with the president,’’ APC said.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has rescheduled the meeting to next week Wednesday by 4pm to enable the opposition governors to attend.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, who noted that initially, only the PDP governors were invited, said President Jonathan told them that the meeting bordered on national issues and, therefore, rescheduled the security meeting to next Wednesday to enable the APC governors to attend.
None of the APC governors attended the expanded meeting of the National Security Council involving all the governors of the 36 states of the federation which commenced at about 2pm.
Presidential spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati had noted in a statement on Wednesday that the security meeting involving the governors was convened to “review the security situation in the country as well as ongoing national security measures and operations with a view to determining the best way forward”.
He, however, did not specify whether it was a meeting for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors alone. Besides, the governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimmiko who is a Labour Party governor as well as his Anambra counterpart, Willie Obiano who is a member of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) were at yesterday’s meeting.
He said, “This is a fallout of our meeting which we held with PDP governors and we felt that there was a need for us to also meet with security chiefs. Mr President has listened to us and even said that since it is a problem that involves all the states of the federation, it is better for all the state governors to be in attendance. Because of that, he has graciously agreed to meet with the governors of all the 36 states of the federation on Wednesday by 4pm.”
“Of course, you know we are very much concerned, first as PDP governors and the centre belongs to the PDP and so we felt that we should see our dear president and if need be, meet with some of the security chiefs. He has graciously listened to us and he said since it is a national issue, we must have all the 36 governors in attendance. So I believe strongly that notice will be going out and all governors will be meeting with Mr President and service chiefs next week Wednesday so we can sit and discuss and proffer solutions to the current insecurity in the country. I believe it will come to an end”.
Asked whether or not the APC governors were invited to the meeting, Akpabio said, “No, no, no; they were not invited. You know, there was an initial requisition for this meeting by the PDP governors; this was a fallout