YOLA—12 state governors drawn from the South South, South East, North Central and the North East, yesterday rose from a crucial meeting, as part of the on-going consultations and dialogue bordering on major political, economic and social issues critical to the election of President Goodluck Jonathan in the forth-coming April Presidential polls.

The Yola confab, which is an expansion of the Asaba foundation meeting, facilitated by the Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, and the third in a series is to build on the resolutions reached at the earlier meeting in Delta State.

The meeting, which lasted for about seven hours and held behind closed doors at the Adamawa Government House had in attendance, Governors Nyako of Adamawa, (host), Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta (facilitator), Danjuma Goje of Gombe, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi; Theodore Orji of Abia; Peter Obi of Anambra; Liyel Imoke of Cross River; Sullivan Chime of Enugu; Ikedi Ohakim of Imo; Timpre Sylva of Bayelsa; Martins Elechi of Ebonyi and the Taraba State governor, Danbaba Suntai.

Sources at the meeting hinted that the meeting focused on the imperatives of national unity amidst frightening spate of flashes of violence across the country and the need to foster a nationalistic political, social and economic strategy to contain rising tensions and build national consensus ahead of the April polls.

The source said the governors who are trying to build a broad-based national coalition in support of President Jonathan’s presidential bid in April believe that there was need for rapproachment and constant sharing of information as necessary ingredient for national development.

Speaking on behalf of colleagues on Sunday night, Governor Peter Obi said the meeting was a continuation of earlier initiatives.

He said there were ongoing consultations to achieve a consensus, adding: “We met today to discuss the unity of this country and the need tio live together as one country, one people. We discussed national security and issues of economic growth. We are moving to North west.”