2015: NORTHERN GOVERNORS MEET EKWUEME, SHAGARI OTHERS

The second phase of the mission to rescue the country's democracy, which began last Saturday,
will continue next week, with five northern governors visiting former President Shehu Shagari
and ex-vice president, Alex Ekwueme.
Also, the governors will meet with former Senate presidents and Speakers of the House of
Representatives as well as former national chairmen of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP). The visit, Daily Sun learnt, is a follow up to the ones made to former President Olusegun
Obasanjo, last Saturday and to two former military heads of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar
and Ibrahim Babangida during the week.
Confirming the development, Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State said that contrary to
insinuations in some quarters, the governors were billed to visit "former Defence Minister,
General TY Danjuma, Ekwueme, all former PDP chairmen, former Senate presidents and former
Speakers of House Representatives ," adding that those insinuating that their mission was only
targeted at PDP leaders were only trying to take the wind out of our sail.
He further said: "Nigeria is bigger than any individual. Our mission is to salvage the current
situation and save our nascent democracy from imminent collapse. We are people with rich
political history.
We know where we are coming from, as such, we will do everything to ensure that democracy
survives in this country. We struggled to come about this democracy. In fact, some of us almost
paid with our lives. Therefore, we must rise up to the challenge."
On the attack on him and his colleagues, by the Presidency, through its Senior Special Assistant
on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, Lamido simply said: "Okupe is trying to earn a living and so
he is trying to justify his pay and he is working dearly for it.
But let me say that as party men, we won't join issues with our President on the pages of the
papers. However, where was Okupe and his like when, as a party, we were struggling to make
Jonathan, first as the party's candidate and later as Nigeria's President?
Where were they? If the PDP governors had not stood their ground, will those making noise
today on behalf of our president have had anything to hold on to? "When we talk, we should do
so with decorum and some sense of responsibility.
We should stop behaving as if we own today and that tomorrow will never come. We should
always remember that there was yesterday. If those talking now have forgotten what happened
yesterday, those listening to them today, know exactly what transpired yesterday.
"Therefore, we should stop behaving as if we own ourselves. We may have our plans, but we
should always remember that God, our creator, is the best of all planners," Lamido declared.