Governors Akpabio, Obi, Mimiko and Jang Behind Plot To Break Up Governors Forum
Posted: May 25, 2013 - 00:06


Governor Rotimi Amaechi today after the NGF election
By SaharaReporters, New York
Several governors from two of Nigeria’s geo-political zones have told SaharaReporters how Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State reemerged as the chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum in a highly dramatic and widely watched election earlier today.

Mr. Amaechi’s reelection has rattled President Goodluck Jonathan who, one Presidency source disclosed, called Governors Godswill Akpabio, Peter Obi, Segun Mimiko and Jonah Jang from Ethiopia and charged them to do everything within their power to ensnare the outcome in controversy in order to delegitimize the results.

The four pro-Jonathan governors subsequently released a document claiming that 19 governors voted for Mr. Jang. The document did not state when the so-called voting was conducted. At a press conference called by Mr. Akpabio and attended by Governor Jang, the latter did not utter a word about his purported victory. Instead, Mr. Jang was glum and had a blank, vacant look.

Earlier today, Saharareporters broke the news about Governor Amaechi's victory.

A Presidency source told SaharaReporters that, before traveling to Ethiopia, President Jonathan had collected the signatures of 19 governors, including the governor of Yobe, with the aim of wresting the Governors’ Forum post from Mr. Amaechi. But at today's meeting where the election took place, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe was conspicuously absent. One of the governors told SaharaReporters that the Yobe governor decided not to attend the meeting because he detests Mr. Jang's sectarian fanaticism.

Our sources, who detailed the coalition that handed Mr. Amaechi a victory, told Saharareporters that 19 governors voted for the Rivers governor who has been locked in a major political dispute with Mr. Jonathan. The pro-Amaechi governors were those of Imo, Ekiti, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Adamawa, Borno, Osun, Jigawa, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger, Kwara Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara and Sokoto. Mr. Amaechi also voted for himself, securing reelection.

Our sources disclosed that the governors of Bauchi, Benue, Gombe, Taraba, Kogi, Plateau, Ondo, Kebbi, Katsina, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kaduna and four others voted for Mr. Jang, the president’s candidate.

Our sources painted a portrait of some dramatic developments ahead of today’s voting. SaharaReporters learned that the pro-Jonathan group adopted Governor Jang as their consensus candidate following a decision by a few Northern governors and some members of the PDP’s Governors Forum to pick a flag bearer outside of Governors Ibrahim Shema of Katsina and Isah Yuguda of Bauchi. The Jonathan group believed that Mr. Jang would seem less contentious. They also tipped Governor Mimiko of Ondo as Mr. Jang’s side kick in the hope of swaying some governors from the South-West.

Two governors disclosed that the anti-Amaechi group also suggested using “consensus” rather than an election to determine the leader of the forum. “They hoped the ‘consensus’ method would make it possible for them to swing the votes in their favor,” said one governor, adding that most governors insisted on voting.

One of the governors disclosed that Mr. Jonathan’s camp came to today’s meeting confident that they would prevail, since the president had obtained signatures from several governors in advance. But the president’s gubernatorial opponents said they knew Mr. Jang would be vanquished as the election, which was conducted by the secretariat of the Governors’ Forum, began. The forum’s director-general, Ashishana Okauru, was the presiding officer at the election with Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State serving as the returning officer. Pro-Amaechi governors said they were certain of their candidate’s victory since the election was conducted via a secret ballot. “It was free and fair, so we knew that Chibuike [Amaechi] would win,” said one of the governors from the south-west.

After the voting, Governor Uduaghan announced the results, declaring Mr. Amaechi victorious. “All 35 governors present cast their vote and the tally was 19-16 in favor of Governor Amaechi,” one of the governors said. He dismissed Mr. Akpabio’s list of 19 governors for Mr. Jang, laughing that the Akpabio group even included the name of the Yobe governor who was not present at today’s vote.

It remained unclear whether the Presidency would succeed in pressuring Mr. Uduaghan to back away from the results he collated and announced at the governors’ parley.

One of the pro-Amaechi governors told SaharaReporters that Mr. Jang’s candidacy was “technically flawed, but we allowed him to run for the sake of peace.” According to him, observance of the forum’s constitution would mean that the picking of nomination forms ought to have ended by midnight on May 23, 2013. He claimed that Governor Jang only sent in a letter indicating his interest in the race around 3 p.m. on May 24, 2013. “It was a breach of our constitution, but Governor Amaechi and some of us decided not to push for Jang’s disqualification,” said the governor.

Another governor told Saharareporters that he suspects Mr. Jonathan would now be hell bent on destroying or dividing the Governors Forum. “He will see the result of today’s election as a vote of no confidence on his leadership,” said the governor, from one of the Northern states. He added: “All I know is [the] majority of governors don’t want the Presidency to be telling us what to do. We were elected just as Mr. President was elected. Let him lead the nation with good leadership effort and allow do the same in our state.”

The source added that Mr. Jonathan and his political associates would likely interpret the loss by Mr. Jang to Governor Amaechi as an indication that the president may lose the PDP’s primary elections to be the party’s flag bearer. “But it is his good governance that will make the party pick him again, not whether he forces Governor Jang to be our chairman,” said the source.

Several governors who spoke to us today said Governors Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Segun Mimiko of Ondo, Peter Obi of Anambra and Jonah Jang of Plateau of were out to do the president’s bidding at all cost. They accused the governors of seeking to polarize the Governors’ Forum in order to advance President Jonathan’s agenda of neutralizing Governor Amaechi.

[size=14pt]“These colleagues are key to President Goodluck Jonathan’s plan to turn Nigeria into Ivory Coast if he does not win in 2015,” said one source.[/size]

Goddex: Does Nigeria even need this Forum? For me any move aimed at killing this NGF will be one of the best things to happen to Nigeria.

The Vision of the Nigeria Governors Forum is to be:

“An effective, proactive, inclusive, non-partisan forum which actively fosters, promotes and sustains democratic values, good governance and sustainable development in Nigeria”



The mission statement sets out our reason for existence and illustrates the unique contribution that the Forum can make towards accomplishment of its purpose.

The Mission of the Nigeria Governors Forum is:

“To provide a platform for collaboration amongst the Executive Governors on matters of public policy; to promote good governance, sharing of good practice and to enhance cooperation at State level and with other arms of government and society”

Prof Corruption: What's even funny to me is the role of Obi and Mimiko? are they now PDP or even more pro-PDP than Amaechi? How can PDP governors reject election of a PDP NGF chairman? An association of convenience. When it suits them, they play the North-South divide a la why must a southerner be vice to a northern president? When the argument becomes untenable, the southerner must then be branded a traitor that must be defeated.


GEJ is ultimately unwittingly "facilitating" a two-party system ( in a coded language). He's a trainee president whose answers to any problem are force and threats.

ckkris: Prof Naive & Corrupt. Who is laughing now. PoliTricks is beyond chasing girls around campus.
Join the winning team.
Team Jona 2015

Prof Corruption:

Laughable. Let me know when GEJ wins the PDP ticket. With all his nonsense, Amaechi defeated his proxy hands down.
He's leaving in 2015.

berem: I so much love the way Amaechi was re elected against the wish of the President. This is how a Democratic government should work. I hope and pray that a similar thing will work out in the forthcoming elections. No rigging, one man one vote. Congrats to Amaechi!

Desola: Mimiko again?

Oloriburuku somebody ma ni omo ale governor yi ke!!

Goddex: The following state governors uptil this morning affirmed that they voted for Jang. They have even held their first meeting to pass a number of resolutions.

1) Akwa Ibom
;;;;;;
19) Bayelsa

The question is, why is Sahara Reporters in the article above duplicating Sokoto and Kano states for Ameachi. If the election was not rigged, let the pro Ameachi governors call a meeting too and let Nigerians know the governors in their camp. Shame on all of you!!!!!!!

Updated: Jang holds first meeting with 17 others as NGF boss



The gulf in the ranks of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum became wider on Saturday as one of the claimants to the seat of the chairman of the body, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, conveyed a meeting of the Forum.

The meeting, held at the Benue State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, sources said, was attended by 17 other governors.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting and signed by Jang and his deputy, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, had the Plateau State Governor thanking his colleagues in the Northern Governors’ Forum, the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum and all governors in general for the confidence reposed in him.

Jang vowed to unite all governors and work for the interest of the country.

The Forum restated its commitment to continue being a platform for peer review, productive and collaborative engagement with all levels of government.

The Forum also resolved to continue to encourage and collaborate with President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to restore peace and security in the country.

The Forum resolved to secure a befitting permanent secretariat outside any Governor’s lodge for its activities.
It thanked all Nigerians for their support and promised not to let them down.

The NGF became split on Friday with the re-election of the Rivers State Governor, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, as the chairman of the body. Amaechi defeated Jang by 19 votes to 16.

However, governors opposed to the continuation of Amaechi in office described the election as a sham, insisting that it was Jang they wanted to head the body.
Governors that attended the meeting were: Jang (Plateau); Idris Wada (Kogi); Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Isa Yuguda (Bauchi); Theodore Orji (Abia); Ibrahim Shema (Katsina); Mukhtar Yero (Kaduna); Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta); Garba Umar (Taraba); Liyel Imoke (Cross River); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa); Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara); Peter Obi (Anambra); Mimiko (Ondo); and Thaanod Rubainu (Deputy Governor, Gombe).
Although the names and signatures of Governors Sullivan Chime and Martin Elechi of Enugu and Ebonyi States respectively appeared on the attendance list, the two governors were not physically present at the meeting.

DerideGull:

My sister, can you still count or are you thinking of rigging the election too?

HNosegbe: Two questions:

2. How is it that in the list of 19 govs who "voted for Amaechi", the governors of Kano and Sokoto were each mentioned TWICE?

eGuerrilla:

You've provided no reference for this piece of twaddle, yet find it rather convenient to ridicule Saharareporters.
I know who I would rather believe.

The following account of today's meeting mentions 17 governors only. I can see that, with no bridge considered too far, like Akpabio, you've decided to sell a ruse. Why rasta?



Source

Goddex:

Akpabio of Akwa Ibom state and the Kebbi State governor are not on your list or are you saying Akpabio voted for Ameachi? Haba bros!! Go through those your 17 names again, this time slowly. You see, your deceptive media will deliberately juggle with facts to sell their lies. . .

Akpabio and Uduaghan, in separate telephone conversations, alleged that the NGF’s constitution envisaged a situation where the forum would be modeled after the American Governors’ Forum, which juggles its chairmanship between the North and the South.

Challenging Amaechi to call a meeting if he was truly elected, Akpabio noted that a constitution committee headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo, when he (Sambo) was governor, stipulated a two-year term to be alternated between the North and the South, an agreement that has now been breached.

Agreeing that power sharing has always been part of the Nigerian experience, the Akwa Ibom Governor accused Governor Amaechi of dragging the NGF without elections for three months.


Meanwhile the Felix Obuah-led Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction says it recognises Jang, as the authentic chairman of the NGF.

Publicity Secretary of the Party in the State, Nwanosike Samuel, congratulated the Plateau Governor and his Vice, Olesegun Mimiko, Saturday.

He said: “We, as a party, also stand with the chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Godswill Akpabio, for all the good work he has been doing to bring PDP back to life. I think it is worth commending. That is why PDP in Rivers State stands strongly and boldly behind the action taken by Governor Akpabio, as Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum and other people in the NGF election on Friday.

He said that Akpabio’s effort in making the Northern governors to accept a consensus candidate in the person of Jang was a clear demonstration of victory.

Akpabio stressed that when the governors came in for the election, it was the governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, who was pitted against governor Amaechi. However, it was latter decided that both governors should step down.

Alxmyr:

Gbogbo family e ni olori buruku somebody...

eGuerrilla:

17 governors attended the meeting (including Akpabio), so your point is rather moot.

Goddex:

My friend, you can't even read your own post again. Ok, let me copy and paste your 17 governors and you will tell me if Akpabio and Dakingari's names are there. Below is your list. . .

eGuerrilla:

Unlike you, I never provided a list.
Read the full article again - slowly this time - for comprehension

By the way, you still have not provided the source I requested earlier.

HNosegbe: Two questions:

2. How is it that in the list of 19 govs who "voted for Amaechi", the governors of Kano and Sokoto were each mentioned TWICE?

Desola:

Gbo gbo porinpongba e lati ran kini de Iran e ni masafani olori buushan asiere dede.

nuclearboy: I keep wondering - if Amaechi had been beaten 25 - 10 or something like that, what would those saying the NGF is not useful, have said?

And fine, you are all hyperventilating now that the power of Nigeria is bullying someone for not being a loyal fool! You all forget that life implies a post-GEJ period when someone else will be in power! I foresee a future where "those who live by the sword will die by same sword" - its in the fates and this current situation is like sowing a seed - harvest-time will come!

Power by definition is transient and no responsible person uses it like this!

Alxmyr:

B'ewure ba bo ju wo eyin, a fi pe fun elepe....

Alxmyr:

B'ewure ba bo ju wo eyin, a fi pe fun elepe....

Desola:

No wonder!

You have been misyarning because you are an "ewure".

Allisclear!