Ahead of the National Council of State meeting scheduled to take place today in Abuja, the bitter recriminations between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) continued to escalate on Wednesday, with the ruling party calling on the main opposition party to leave it out of the controversy over the plot to set up an interim government and push for the postponement of the elections.

The ruling party also raised the alarm over the discrimination against non-indigenes of Lagos State in the distribution of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) and the burning of cards belonging to non-indigenes in some states.

However, the APC and its presidential candidate, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, remained unrelenting in their call on members of the Council of State to reject any proposal to postpone the elections scheduled for this month.

In a bid to thwart the postponement, governors of APC-led states met last night in the residence of the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, in Abuja to present a common front at the meeting today against a change in the date of the elections.

Apart from the APC governors, Buhari is physically present at the Council of State meeting. Other former heads of state present are Gen Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Ernest Shonekan and Shehu Shagari. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is conspicuously absent.

APC governors in attendance included Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Babatunde Raji Fashola (Lagos), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Abdulfatahi Ahmed (Kwara).

PDP governors who at the meeting are those of Kogi, Idris Wada, Bayelsa, Seriake Dickson, Adamawa, James Baba Ngilari and Niger, Babangida Aliyu.

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, is also at meeting.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, led other service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, Sulaiman Abba, to the meeting.

•Adapted from THISDAY reports. Photo shows a Council of State meeting in session.

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