Following the invitation of Presidential hopefuls across political parties to Itfar dinner by Nigeria’s first lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari on Saturday, some frontline aspirants were in attendance.
CAPITAL POST reports that the governor of Kogi State and the 2023 presidential hopeful on the platform of the ruling All rights Congress (APC), Alhaji Yahaya Bello was conspicuously absent from the dinner for unknown reasons.
The first lady had invited them to the presidential villa, and instructed that they should come without their phones in line with the protocol of the presidential villa.
The event took place at the Old Banquet Hall of the State House on Saturday night with the National leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu in attendance.
Though, the invite include other political appointees, the presidential aspirants who were present are:
Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC)
Senator Bala Mohammed (PDP)
Engineer David Umahi (APC)
Dr Chris Ngige (APC)
Other dignitaries include: Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State; Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio; one-time National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Barnabas Gemade; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara; and oil and gas mogul, Tein Jack-Rich.
Only Senator Bala Mohammed who is the governor of Bauchi State and presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party was present as the former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was absent.
Other PDP’s presidential aspirants absent are, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto State; Barr Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers State; ex-Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki
