NGF ELECTION: PDP Governors Reject Amaechi?

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has won re-election as the chairman of the Nigerian Governors' Forum defeating his opponent Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State by 3 votes.

Mr. Amaechi won 19 votes from the 35 governors present, while Mr. Jang, a late entrant to the competition garnered 16 votes. The governor of gombe state was absent.

Source: Sahara Reporters

UPDATE: PDP Governors reject Amaechi

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors have rejected the re-election of Gov. Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State as Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF.

Briefing newsmen after the election, Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa-Ibom State (Chairman of PDP Governors Forum) described the election as a sham, saying they will only recognise Gov. Jonah Jang of Plataeu State as Chairman.

Source: Vanguard

UPDATE: PDP Governors name Jang chairman

Still struggling to come to terms with the reality of the defeat of their candidate by Governor Rotimi Amaechi, aggrieved governors Saturday distanced themselves from his victory, claiming that he ceased to be their leader on Friday when his tenure ended.

The splinter NGF, led by Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom and chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, presented Governor Jonah Jang as the new Chairman of the NGF.

They also announced plans to set up a different secretariat for their meetings so as to disconnect from the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, which had been serving as their meeting point in the past two years.

Eighteen governors, who are sympathetic to President Jonathan and his anointed candidate, Jang, converged on the Benue State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro and tried to discredit the electoral process that threw up Amaechi.

The governors who are opposed to Amaechi’s victory are: Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Jonah Jang of Plateau, Idris Wada of Kogi, Gabriel Suswam of Benue, Sullivan Chime of Enugu, Martin Elechi of Ebonyi, Theodore Orji of Abia, Peter Obi of Anambra and Isa Yuguda of Bauchi.

others are: Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina, Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna, Garba Umar of Taraba,  Ahmed Abdulfatah of Kwara, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Liyel Imoke of Cross River, Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa and Gombe Deputy Governor, Thaanod Rubainu.

The governors, who met behind closed doors for about two hours, later issued a communique, saying that they stood by the endorsement of 19 governors, who had earlier pledged their support for the candidature of the consensus candidate to be chosen by them and not Amaechi.

Governor Mimiko, who described himself as the Vice Chairman of the Jang-led NGF, read the six-paragraph communique issued and jointly endorsed by the faction.

“The Nigeria Governors’ Forum, under the new leadership of Governor Jonah Jang, as Chairman and Governor Olusegun Mimiko as the Vice Chairman, at the inaugural meeting held today, Saturday, May 25, 2013, resolved as follows:
“The new chairman of the NGF thanks Northern Governors’ Forum, the PDP Governors’ Forum and all the governors for the support and confidence reposed in him and vowed to work for the interest of the forum and country.

“The chairman of the NGF Governor Jonah Jang vows to unite members of the forum, work for the interest of the forum and the country.

“The forum re-states its commitment to continue being a platform for peer review, productive and collaborative engagement with all levels of government.

“The forum also resolves to continue to encourage and collaborate with Mr. President to restore peace and security in the country.

Source: Vanguard

UPDATE: It's God’s handiwork - Jang

Factional Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State returned home Sunday admitting that he never bargained to lead the group but has accepted it as God’s handiwork.

Jang who spoke to journalists on arrival at the Yakubu Gowon Airport on arrival pleaded with Governor Rotimi Amaechi to back down and accept him as the new leader of the forum. 

Amaechi had been declared winner of the election but the Jang group revolted against his declaration citing Jang’s purported endorsement by 19 governors in a pre-election agreement.

He said he would do his best to get Amaechi to work with him as the new leader of the forum.

The brief interview went thus:

Did you actually bargain for what you got now?

Jang:  Well, I never bargained for it, but that is the way God Work. So this is God’s will.

What was your impression of the election sir?

Jang: As far as Iam concerned, I have been given an assignment and by the grace of God I will do my best to unite the forum and make sure the forum provides the right leadership for the people of Nigeria because we are governors that are governing our respective states. And so we are bound together to work with one another. The NGF election or selection as you call it, should not divide the governors. We have one purpose and were elected by the people to work for them. We have worked with Governor Amaechi the former Chairman of NGF before and I am appealing  to him  to calm down and also work with me so that together we will continue to give Nigerians the right leadership for electing us as their governors.

Are you ready to work with him if he agrees to support you?

Jang: I mean I am going to really try to get him to work with me; I have once worked with him before; he too should work with me so that we can be able to give this country the right leadership that she is yearning for.

Meanwhile, a body known as the Plateau Merger Group has faulted Jang’s declaration as the new chairman of the forum based on a pre-election endorsement. 

The group in communique at the end of a meeting on Saturday jointly signed by the Plateau ANPP Chairman, Hon. Nazifi Ahmed and State Secretary of the CPC, Pastor Dabit Joseph hailed the re-election of Amaechi by the governors.

“As democrats we wish to seize this opportunity to congratulate all Nigerian governors for demonstrating exemplary democratic practice for returning His Excellency, Rt Hon. Rotimi Amaechi as chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF). We applaud their decision, and believe that our democracy will flow without any hic-ups.

“It is sad to note that at this level of our democracy, pre-election commitments (so called endorsement) before the said NGF election are being paraded as election results by the losers”, the communique stated.

It commended the leadership of the merging political parties for successfully conducting their congresses and dissolving into the  All Progressive Congress (APC and commended the electorate and political office holders for working for the survival of democracy in the past 15 years.

“We remind all public office holders on the need to appreciate the fact that the positions they currently occupy are held in trust on behalf of the greater majority. Thus the need to ensure that the dividends of democracy trickle down to the Nigerian people”, it added.

Source: Vanguard