Kwankwaso, Akande missing as 1999 Governors meet Tinubu in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu on Friday welcomed his fellow 1999 class of governors to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, as they paid him a courtesy visit to rekindle old ties and celebrate over two decades of Nigeria’s democratic journey.

Tinubu, who served as governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, received the delegation led by former Delta State governor, James Ibori.

The group comprises Nigeria’s first set of civilian governors following the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

Among the attendees were Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), Boni Haruna (Adamawa), Donald Duke (Cross River), and Sam Egwu (Ebonyi). Others included Lucky Igbinedion (Edo), Jolly Nyame (Taraba), Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom), Niyi Adebayo (Ekiti), and Adamu Mu’azu (Bauchi).

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, who was governor of Benue State during the same period, introduced the former governors at the start of the meeting.

However, notable figures from the 1999 set, such as Bisi Akande (Osun), Olusegun Osoba (Ogun), Achike Udenwa (Imo), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna), Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto), Sani Yerima (Zamfara), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), and Orji Kalu (Abia), were absent from the gathering.

While the specific agenda of the meeting was not disclosed at the time of reporting, the event marks a follow-up to a similar reunion held in July 2023, underscoring the enduring camaraderie among Nigeria’s first post-military civilian governors.

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