National leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who had been scheduled to attend the South West APC Stakeholders’ meeting was conspicuously absent.
The former Lagos governor, who returned yesterday morning from the United Kingdom because of the meeting, was said to have put a helicopter online to arrive in Ibadan this afternoon before he took a bit ill.
According to the former interim chairman of the party, Tinubu’s absence is due to a slight illness he developed this morning.
The former governor of Osun stated that Tinubu had put in place all travel arrangements to be at the Ibadan meeting before the development came up.
“Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived yesterday morning from the UK to attend this meeting and put a helicopter online to arrive in Ibadan this afternoon, but took a bit ill,” Akande said.
Media Aide to Tinubu, Tunde Rahman corroborated this development stating that Tinubu did not want to risk traveling with stomach upset hence his decision to stay at his Lagos home.
Rahman assured that Tinubu was in support of the meeting and would attend subsequent meetings.
“He didn’t want to risk traveling with stomach upset. He doesn’t have any problem attending the meeting. He would have been here. There will be other meetings which he will surely attend,” Rahman said.
Akande also explained that Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun; Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole and Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola excused themselves from the meeting due to a national assignment.