by Isiaka Wakili
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday met behind closed doors with a former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Sheriff stepped out of the president’s office at about 1.50pm after the meeting which lasted for several hours and left without talking to State House correspondents.
An Australian, Stephen Davis, who was involved in negotiations on behalf of the Nigerian Government with leaders of Boko Haram for the release of over 200 schoolgirls abducted by in April, had in August named Sheriff and a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-General Azubuike Ihejirika, as sponsors of the sect.
NewsRescue– Watch President Jonathan Call Modu Sheriff Boko Haram Sponsor
Although the Department of State Security Service had since cleared Sheriff and Ihejirika, the Borno State Government, through Governor Kassim Shettima’s spokesman, Isa Gusau, had reportedly insisted on Monday that one of the alleged Boko Haram negotiators was an aide to Sheriff whom he asked Shettima to retain.
Our correspondent reports that the president also met with Ekiti State Governor, Peter Ayodele Fayose who was accompanied by the chairman of Skye Bank, Tunde Ayeni.
Ayeni chaired the recent fundraising dinner where N21.27 billion was raised for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election campaign.
