L-R: (Sitting) Director-General, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr. Asishana Okauru; Governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); and (standing) Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), briefing journalists after the NGF election, in Abuja... on Friday
Months of intrigues and political
permutations among the 36 state governors ended on Friday with the
election of Governor Rotimi Amaechi as the chairman of the Nigerian
Governors’ Forum for a second term.
The election, which was held at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, in Abuja was witnessed by 35 out of the 36 state governors.
Only the governor of Yobe, Ibrahim Geidam, was not at the venue of the election and was not represented.
Amaechi defeated his only rival, Mr. Jonah Jang, who is the governor of Plateau State.
While Amaechi got 19 votes, Jang had 16.
Also elected as the deputy chairman of the forum was the Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulazees Yari, who was unopposed.
His rival for the position, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, had voluntarily withdrawn from the race.
Announcing the result of the election,
the Returning Officer for the election, who is also the Director-General
of the forum, Mr. Asishana Okauru, said the election was well
contested.
He said, “The governor of Yobe was not
present. We counted all the votes and the chairman, Chibuke Rotimi
Amaechi of Rivers State emerged winner with a total of 19 votes against
the governor of Plateau State, who secured a total of 16 votes.
“Now, for the vice-chairman, it is
important to announce to you that there were four candidates, two of the
candidates withdrew from the race but they participated in the voting
process.
“Governors Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State
and Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State also participated in the election. At
the end, it is clear that the chairman emerged as the chairman for the
next two years. The vice-chairman position was also up and there were
two candidates: Governors Mimiko and Yari.
“But the governor of Ondo withdrew from
the race and yielded the position to the governor of Zamfara, who, as
from today, is the vice-chairman of the NGF.”
As soon as the results were announced,
the opposition governors, including some PDP governors, were seen
exchanging greetings. They also shook hands as they sang songs of joy.
Amaechi, in his brief remarks, said he
was happy and would work with all the governors, including those that
did not vote for him.
But when they realised what had
happened, some of the governors, led by the Chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party’s Governors Forum, Chief Godswill Akpabio, headed for
the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodges, where they said they rejected the
result.
Jang, who spoke at the briefing, said he
stood by the pre-election arrangement, where the PDP governors endorsed
him as their candidate.
Before going for the election, some PDP
governors had endorsed Jang and asked both Shema and Yuguda to step
down. Both aspirants agreed and signed a statement to that effect.
The two governors said they were doing that for Jang.
But at the briefing, Jang insisted that
the stepping down of the two aspirants and his endorsement was enough to
guarantee his success.
Akpabio said that Amaechi ought to have
stepped down before the conduct of the election, adding that there was
no way an incumbent could be in office while an election was being
conducted.
When asked about the position of the NGF’s constitution on the matter, he refused to answer.
He said as far as he and members of his group were concerned, Jang remained the chairman of the NGF while Mimiko was his deputy.
Akpabio also refused to state why he and his group agreed to be part of the election when they noticed the perceived anomalies.
Those who were at the briefing were the
governors of Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Cross River, Abia, Kogi, Bauchi, Ondo,
Delta, Anambra, Enugu and Kogi states.
It was gathered that some of the PDP
governors were not happy with the emergence of Jang as the consensus
candidate and decided to vote for Amaechi.
This might have resulted in the defeat of Jang.
The voting process, which was by secret balloting, was said to have worked against Jang.
Jang read a statement, which was signed by the 19 governors that endorsed him to buttress the claim that he won the election.
He said, “The northern governors met in
the morning and both Shema and Yuguda agreed to step down and I was
asked to take their place.
The PDP governors also agreed and endorsed the action.
“Any further discussion about the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, I should be addressed as the chairman of the forum as from today.
“We the undersigned governors of the
Nigerian Governors’ Forum having taken cognisance of the state of the
nation and the perception of the Nigerian people, do hereby resolve as
follows:
“That we thank the outgoing chairman,
His Excellency, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, Governor of Rivers State for his
leadership and achievements;
“That we strongly agree for a change of leadership of the forum from May 2013 to May 2015.
“We hereby elect His Excellency, Jonah Jang of Plateau State as the new chairman,” the statement said.
While the entire statement was typed,
the name of Jang was written with pen, which indicated that his coming
into the race was not predetermined.
Those who signed the statement were the
governors of Akwa Ibom, Gombe, Bayelsa, Taraba, Benue, Anambra, Kogi,
Ondo, Plateau, Kaduna, Enugu, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Delta, Abia, Katsina,
Yobe, Cross River and Kwara.
The statement was signed before the voting.
As soon as Jang finished reading his
speech, the Governor of Bayelea State, Seriake Dickson, said there
should be no question from journalists.
The Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, said he was going to introduce his successor as the deputy chairman of the forum.
He later raised the hands of Mimiko.
Akpabio said there was no election and that what happened was not a valid election.
Before the election, governors from the
northern states met in the morning, but sources at the meeting said the
governors were unable to arrive at a consensus candidate.
Our correspondent observed that
telephone communication was jammed at the venue of the election to
prevent the governors from being influenced by outsiders, probably from
the Presidency or PDP leadership.
This was the first time that such a situation would happen since the governors have been having their meetings.
Meanwhile, Amaechi has affirmed the
forum’s commitment towards supporting President Goodluck Jonathan to
fight insecurity and reduce tension and uncertainty in the country.
Amaechi said in a statement shortly
after he was re-elected the NGF chairman in Abuja on Friday that the
forum would back President Jonathan to achieve the development dream of
Nigerians.
He also pledged the forum’s resolve to
work alongside the President to improve the living standard of Nigerians
through transparent and accountable stewardship.
He expressed gratitude to his
colleagues for their tenacity and determination to ensure the unity of
the forum and the nation in general.
“Today, our democracy was tested and
proven. Democracy is about participation. The aim of democratic
governance is for everyone to partake in winning.
“Today, the governors have spoken with
one voice, reaffirming our faith in democratic governance as the hope of
Nigeria’s future.
“I must thank my colleagues for their
tenacity and determination to ensure the unity of the forum but more
importantly of our nation.
“We remain committed to supporting our
leader, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan, to realise the development dream of all Nigerians by reducing
tension, uncertainty and insecurity in our beloved country.
“We want to pledge our steadfastness
and resolve to work alongside Mr. President to better the lives of our
people as we render transparent and accountable stewardship,” Amaechi
said.
Similarly, the NGF Director-General, Dr.
Asishana Okauru, explained that the forum under the leadership of
Governor Amaechi was eager to work with the Federal Government to
achieve its (FG) development programmes for Nigerians.
Okauru pointed out that Amaechi’s
determination to assist the Federal Government to develop the country
made him (Amaechi) to go for a second term as the NGF chairman.
“The chairman (Amaechi) won and the
election was transparent as every governor except one voted. His victory
portends well for Nigeria.
“Amaechi means well for the country and
he is eager to work with the Federal Government to achieve the best for
Nigerians,” Okauru stressed.
Okauru was, however, silent on the issue of external interference in the affairs of the forum before the election.
As soon as Jang finished reading his
speech, the Governor of Bayelea State, Seriake Dickson, said there
should be no question from journalists.
The Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, said he was going to introduce his successor as the deputy chairman of the forum.
He later raised the hands of Mimiko.
Akpabio said there was no election and that what happened was not a valid election.
Before the election, governors from the
northern states met in the morning, but sources at the meeting said the
governors were unable to arrive at a consensus candidate.
Our correspondent observed that
telephone communication was jammed at the venue of the election to
prevent the governors from being influenced by outsiders, probably from
the Presidency or PDP leadership.
This was the first time that such a situation would happen since the governors have been having their meetings.
Meanwhile, Amaechi has affirmed the
forum’s commitment towards supporting President Goodluck Jonathan to
fight insecurity and reduce tension and uncertainty in the country.
Amaechi said in a statement shortly
after he was re-elected the NGF chairman in Abuja on Friday that the
forum would back President Jonathan to achieve the development dream of
Nigerians.
He also pledged the forum’s resolve to
work alongside the President to improve the living standard of Nigerians
through transparent and accountable stewardship.
He expressed gratitude to his colleagues
for their tenacity and determination to ensure the unity of the forum
and the nation in general.
“Today, our democracy was tested and
proven. Democracy is about participation. The aim of democratic
governance is for everyone to partake in winning.
“Today, the governors have spoken with
one voice, reaffirming our faith in democratic governance as the hope of
Nigeria’s future.
“I must thank my colleagues for their
tenacity and determination to ensure the unity of the forum but more
importantly of our nation.
“We remain committed to supporting our
leader, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan, to realise the development dream of all Nigerians by reducing
tension, uncertainty and insecurity in our beloved country.
“We want to pledge our steadfastness and
resolve to work alongside Mr. President to better the lives of our
people as we render transparent and accountable stewardship,” Amaechi
said.
Similarly, the NGF Director-General, Dr.
Asishana Okauru, explained that the forum under the leadership of
Governor Amaechi was eager to work with the Federal Government to
achieve its (FG) development programmes for Nigerians.
Okauru pointed out that Amaechi’s
determination to assist the Federal Government to develop the country
made him (Amaechi) to go for a second term as the NGF chairman.
“The chairman (Amaechi) won and the
election was transparent as every governor except one voted. His victory
portends well for Nigeria.
“Amaechi means well for the country and
he is eager to work with the Federal Government to achieve the best for
Nigerians,” Okauru stressed.
Okauru was, however, silent on the issue of external interference in the affairs of the forum before the election.
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