The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated his earlier statement that world leaders need to make ways to collaborate and strategise on ways to avert the looming food crisis across the globe.
He made the call on Wednesday in Madrid, Spain, at the Royal Palace during an audience with his Royal Majesty, King Felipe VI.
The monarch described Nigeria as an important country and disclosed that he looked forward to an opportunity to visit.
The President thanked his host for the invitation and informed of happenings back home, including preparations for the 2023 general elections.
At another meeting with President Pedro Sanchez, Buhari said Nigeria looked forward to increasing bilateral relations.
The Nigerian leader commended his Spanish counterpart for contributions to the war against terrorism in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Mali.
In his remarks, Sanchez told Buhari that Nigeria remained a major partner of the European nation and expressed readiness to have stronger ties.
The heads of government and their ministers signed nine Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MuO).
They included the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Extradition; Economic and Commercial Cooperation.
Others include Tourism, Sports, Health, Fight Against COVID-19, Science and Innovation.
Some presidential aspirants and stakeholders in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, are poised for a fight and have started mobilizing to abort the emergence of a consensus presidential candidate. They are also fighting to ensure that the party’s standard-bearer does not emerge via imposition.
Conversely, it has been gathered that some APC governors are holed up in Abuja, meeting on a regional basis, and working on the “consensus mandate.”
“They are to prevail on aspirants from their regions to step down if they are not chosen as the consensus candidate. We must achieve a consensus by the weekend. They are to discuss with the aspirants.
“Those who accept to step down will be refunded their N100 million nomination form fees or rewarded with positions if APC wins,” a source close to one of the Northern APC governors told Vanguard.
It was gathered yesterday that the next stage of the battle would be fought at the National Working Committee, NWC, where decisions would be taken on the report of the Presidential Screening Committee chaired by one-time Edo State governor and former APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. The seven-man panel concluded its two-day work on Wednesday. It was not clear last night if it had turned in its report.
However, sources said a decision on the panel’s report will be informed by how well the governors get the aspirants to step down.