A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal and former Speaker, House of Representatives, Right Honourable Yakubu Dogara, on Saturday, met with Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, in a closed-door meeting.
The meeting, which was held at the governor’s country home in Rumueprikom, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State was informed by the desire to build a strong consensus towards next year’s election.
Dogara, who addressed newsmen after the meeting, hinged the visit on the quest and search to build an all-inclusive Nigeria.
Dogara said: “Everyone agrees with us that Governor Wike is one of those indispensable political leaders.
“For us, it is a search to build an all-inclusive Nigeria. So, we feel that as part of the agenda-setting, we should meet with him and that is the reason we are here. And for the rest, whatever it is, maybe in the future we can discuss that,” he said.
Similarly, Babachir Lawal explained that the mission was a brotherly visit to the Rivers State governor.
“We came to visit our brother. He (Wike) is our brother. So, every now and then, the Bible enjoins you to visit one another. That is what we just did,” he said.
Lawal said the interaction with the Rivers State governor had nothing to do with the meeting some Northern leaders held in Abuja, on Friday.
“No, there are many things that are in the world for which you need to visit a brother. So there is nothing to do with our meeting in Abuja,” he said.
The two leaders are at the forefront of agitation by some sections of the North, especially Christians, who are against the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).