Tinubu was said to have put a call to Shettima on Friday night, requesting to see him on Saturday in Lagos and the governor accepted the request without knowing the purpose of the meeting, Daily Newswatch learnt.
An impeccable source said Shettima, in company of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, one of the eleven PDP Senators that recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief of Staff, Abubakar Kyari, Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Baba Kaka Garbai and State Secretary of the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) in Borno, Babakura Shettima boarded a charted flight sent to Maiduguri by Tinubu to convey them to Lagos.
The source added that “On arrival in Lagos, Shettima got a hint that Sheriff was already in Lagos and hence got wind of reason for the invitation. As a result, he sent Ndume, Garbai and the ANPP secretary to meet Tinubu and appeal to him to shelve the meeting to give the governor time to return to Maiduguri and consult with his supporters.
“But Tinubu insisted that the governor should meet with Sheriff because Sheriff had been in Lagos for four days in anticipation of the reconciliation meeting. Shettima’s representatives also told Tinubu that Sheriff is not sincere and only wants the reconciliation so he would penetrate the government and work against the governor ahead of the elections and beyond.
“But Tinubu pleaded that the governor could still meet him and that as leader of the APC it was binding on him (Tinubu) to organise such meeting. Tinubu also told the governor it was up to him to make his own decision during the reconciliation meeting.
“Shettima and his delegation met with Sheriff and at the meeting Sheriff complained about some close aides to the governor, who he said he was not comfortable with.
“Shettima told Sheriff how he has been secretly undermining the Borno government, how he has been trying to destabilise the state’s restored peace by heating up the polity using his anointed governorship aspirant, Mohammed Imam and some other persons.
“Shettima added that Sheriff has also been running him down at the APC national headquarters despite his sincere loyalty to him as his godfather.
“Sheriff denied all the allegations levelled against him but Shettima and his team disbelieved his position and he was visibly angry so much that he excused himself and left the meeting.
“The meeting ended in deadlock and it was resolved that another meeting would hold next week in Abuja,” the source said.
When contacted for comments, Shettima’s Special Adviser on Communications and spokesman, Isa Gusau, confirmed that the meeting between the governor and his godfather is scheduled to continue next week in Abuja.
“Well, I spoke with one of those that were part of the meeting in Lagos which was organised by His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the person I spoke with told me that the meeting was not concluded but another meeting has been scheduled in Abuja.”
Source: Daily Newswatch
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