Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, on Friday met behind closed doors with the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting came barely 48 hours after Emmanuel joined six other members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to visit ailing President Muhammadu Buhari in London where he has been receiving medical attention since May 7.
Although he did not disclose the subject of his discussion with Osinbajo, the governor told State House correspondents that his interaction with Buhari in London showed that God has answered Nigerians’ prayers.
He said, “Let me thank God for the life of the President and thank God for Nigerians too. I also appreciate Nigerians who have prayed sincerely and earnestly for Mr. President and I think God has actual answered the prayers of Nigerians.
“From what you could see from the photographs, you could see that God has actually answered our prayers, so some of us were quite excited to see Mr. President.
“He welcomed us, discussed with us and he was also happy to see us.
“So, what you are seeing both on television and newspapers are genuine and correct. God has actually healed our President and we thank God for that.”
When asked, Emmanuel refused to disclose the details of the discussion the governors had with Buhari.
He however assured Nigerians that the discussion was in the interest of the nation.
“I don’t think when you hold meeting, even with your wife and children, you will come and make that public.
“The President is the father of the nation and we represent the sub-units of this nation and so it is not everything that we discussed that we should just come and say.
“It was a closed door meeting, but be assured that whatever the President will discuss with the governors will be in the best interest of all the citizens of this country,”he said.
When asked to give an idea of when Buhari should be expected back in the country, Emmanuel said he could not do so because he is not a doctor.
He also noted that the President’s return day is not the issue but the fact that God has healed him.
The governor said, “I am not a medical doctor. Let me say something here, even when you have a biological father, you love your father, you take interest in his well being.
“I mean, as a father to the nation, in my personal opinion, I don’t think that is the issue now. The issue is that we should thank God that God has answered our prayers, that is where I am coming from.
“Let me also say, some of us behave as if the President and the governors are super humans.
“We are normal human beings, we also have challenges. So let us not think that because we are governors or President, we are superhuman.
“We are not God, we are mere mortals like any of us here. So that should also make us play down on the way we look at certain issues.”
Emmanuel had on Wednesday joined six other state governors to visit Buhari at the Abuja House, London.
The six others governors are Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara); Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Umar Ganduje (Kano), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo).
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