Nigerian governors under the aegis of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, elected a new chairman on Friday but it appears the battle over the control of the 36 member body has just started.
OluFamous.Com gathered that the Presidency is secretly working to ensure that Governor Rotimi Amaechi is not recognized as Chairman of the Governors Forum. The situation is getting messier than any one could have imagined. See the unfolding drama below...
Presently, the incumbent chairman of the NGF, Governor Amaechi and his challenger, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State are both claiming victory, though through different processes.
While Governor Jang, who is secretly being supporting by the Presidency, claimed that he was endorsed as the candidate of the PDP Governors, who has the majority in the Forum, he, surprisingly, lost to Governor Amaechi at the main election.
But is an endorsement the same thing as victory in the main election?
Few hours after Amaechi's emergence as Chairman, the Akwa Ibom State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, Godswill Akpapio, addressed the press announcing Jang’s victory.
A new twist was added to the drama on Saturday, when Jang and members of some governors who pledged allegiance to his leadership held their inaugural meeting in Abuja. After the meeting, Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, who was introduced as vice-chairman, read a communiqué to the media.
Mimiko while reading the document said the meeting was attended by 18 governors. He also noted that Jang as the new chairman of the body had “vowed to unite members of the forum, work for the interest of the forum and the country.”
Governor Mimiko said their faction has “resolved to secure a befitting permanent secretariat outside any governors’ lodge.”
The break-out governors, who spoke at the end of the briefing, insisted that they endorsed Jang for the election. Those who spoke were: Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Isa Yuguda, Shema, Akpabio and Peter Obi (Anambra State).
While speaking, Governor Akpabio said:
A new twist was added to the drama on Saturday, when Jang and members of some governors who pledged allegiance to his leadership held their inaugural meeting in Abuja. After the meeting, Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, who was introduced as vice-chairman, read a communiqué to the media.
Mimiko while reading the document said the meeting was attended by 18 governors. He also noted that Jang as the new chairman of the body had “vowed to unite members of the forum, work for the interest of the forum and the country.”
Governor Mimiko said their faction has “resolved to secure a befitting permanent secretariat outside any governors’ lodge.”
The break-out governors, who spoke at the end of the briefing, insisted that they endorsed Jang for the election. Those who spoke were: Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Isa Yuguda, Shema, Akpabio and Peter Obi (Anambra State).
While speaking, Governor Akpabio said:
“Yesterday, even before the formal meeting of the governors’ forum, it was agreed the chairmanship of the forum be zoned to the PDP which is the party with the largest number of governors in the forum.
“There was a meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum. The decision of the Northern Governors’ Forum was announced and you need to know that as Nigerians, that chairmanship of the forum should be two years in the South and two years in the North.
“That has been the resolution of the governors. And so it was incumbent upon the northern governors’ forum to meet to bring out the leadership before presenting it to the governors’ forum.
“Yesterday, Governor Aliyu Babangida who is the chairman together with Governor Suswam of Benue came up with Jang as the new chairman and presented him to the PDP governors’ forum and accordingly, the PDP governors’ forum formally adopted Jang.
“The PDP Governors’ Forum would work with Jang as chairman and Mimiko as vice-chairman of the NGF.”
Suswam, who is the vice-chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum added, “Yesterday (Friday), the meeting of the northern governors unanimously adopted the new leadership led by Jang and the northern governors are strongly behind the new leadership of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum led by Jang and supported by Mimiko, the Iroko.”
Similarly, Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema, who attended the meeting said, “Until yesterday (Friday) morning, myself and Governor Yuguda of Bauchi and Amaechi of Rivers scheduled to vie for the election.
“But in the interest of peace and prosperity, we honoured the governors’ forum as myself and Yuguda decided to step down to allow the Northern Governors’ Forum to produce a candidate acceptable to all of us.
“And the northern governors on their own decided to adopt a consensus candidate in the person of the Governor of Plateau State who was presented to the PDP Governors’ Forum and was graciously accepted and they applauded the effort of both myself and Yuguda for making sure that the governors’ forum continue to serve the interest of this nation.
“Our position is that we stepped down to honour this nation and this forum so that we can have a united front.”
In the same vein, Yuguda said, “19 of us endorsed Jang.”
Asked whether he was sure that those who endorsed Jang voted for him during the election, Mimiko could not give an appropriate answer. He said, “Go and ask those who claimed to have conducted election.”
But in his reaction to the claims of the defeated group, Governor Amaechi said:
“There was a meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum. The decision of the Northern Governors’ Forum was announced and you need to know that as Nigerians, that chairmanship of the forum should be two years in the South and two years in the North.
“That has been the resolution of the governors. And so it was incumbent upon the northern governors’ forum to meet to bring out the leadership before presenting it to the governors’ forum.
“Yesterday, Governor Aliyu Babangida who is the chairman together with Governor Suswam of Benue came up with Jang as the new chairman and presented him to the PDP governors’ forum and accordingly, the PDP governors’ forum formally adopted Jang.
“The PDP Governors’ Forum would work with Jang as chairman and Mimiko as vice-chairman of the NGF.”
Suswam, who is the vice-chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum added, “Yesterday (Friday), the meeting of the northern governors unanimously adopted the new leadership led by Jang and the northern governors are strongly behind the new leadership of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum led by Jang and supported by Mimiko, the Iroko.”
Similarly, Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema, who attended the meeting said, “Until yesterday (Friday) morning, myself and Governor Yuguda of Bauchi and Amaechi of Rivers scheduled to vie for the election.
“But in the interest of peace and prosperity, we honoured the governors’ forum as myself and Yuguda decided to step down to allow the Northern Governors’ Forum to produce a candidate acceptable to all of us.
“And the northern governors on their own decided to adopt a consensus candidate in the person of the Governor of Plateau State who was presented to the PDP Governors’ Forum and was graciously accepted and they applauded the effort of both myself and Yuguda for making sure that the governors’ forum continue to serve the interest of this nation.
“Our position is that we stepped down to honour this nation and this forum so that we can have a united front.”
In the same vein, Yuguda said, “19 of us endorsed Jang.”
Asked whether he was sure that those who endorsed Jang voted for him during the election, Mimiko could not give an appropriate answer. He said, “Go and ask those who claimed to have conducted election.”
But in his reaction to the claims of the defeated group, Governor Amaechi said:
"the election was transparent... I believe the governors who own the forum know who their chairman is. The fact is that the people in Port Harcourt and Rivers as a whole are excited over the victory.”
The Governors who voted for Amaechi are:
Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Rauf Aregbesola (Osun); Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo); Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun); Adams Oshiomhole (Edo).
Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto); Rochas Okorocha (Imo); Umaru Al-Makura (Nasarawa); Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Kashim Shettima (Borno); Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe); Abdul-Aziz Yari (Zamfara) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).
Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto); Rochas Okorocha (Imo); Umaru Al-Makura (Nasarawa); Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Kashim Shettima (Borno); Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe); Abdul-Aziz Yari (Zamfara) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).
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