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Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, failed to attend the 11th Bola Tinubu Colloquium, which held in Abuja on Thursday, The PUNCH has learnt.
Amosun was the only governor from the South-West that failed to attend the colloquium, which is held yearly in commemoration of Tinubu’s birthday.
The Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, called out the names of all the governors present, as protocol demands.
They are: Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, his Ekiti State counterpart, Governor Kayode Fayemi; and Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola.
Others present include: Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu; Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State; his Bauchi State counterpart, Mohammed Abubakar; Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shuaibu; former Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Lagos State Governor-elect, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The presence of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; service chiefs and several monarchs were also acknowledged.
However, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, who has been suspended by the APC, was not acknowledged by the Vice-President despite being present ditto for Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State.
Amosun, who has personally attended the last three Bola Tinubu colloquiums, was absent on Thursday.
The Ogun governor, who has been suspended by the APC, has been at loggerheads with Tinubu and other party stalwarts after denying him the opportunity of handpicking his successor.
Amosun, who is now a senator-elect, described Tinubu as a Capo Di Tutti” of Lagos at the height of the crisis.
The “Capo Di Tutti” is a term of Italian origin often used to describe the overall boss within a mafia family or group.
The tension reached a climax when Tinubu and others were humiliated at the APC Presidential rally in Abeokuta last month.
A crowd comprising Amosun’s loyalists, shouted ‘thief, thief’ at Tinubu.
Tinubu’s preferred candidate, Abiodun, eventually won the election but his victory is being challenged by Amosun’s candidate, Adekunle Akinlade at the election petition tribunal.
Efforts to get comments from the Special Assistant on media to the Governor, Rotimi Durojaiye and his Special Adviser on media, Eshiomhomo Imoudu were not successful .
Both of them did not answer the several calls made to them through their mobile phones.
They also did not reply to the message sent to their mobile phones.
(The Punch)
