NGF Chairmanship Election: How Jonathan Shot Himself in
the Foot
26.05.2013, 15:11 Local
President Goodluck Jonathan's design to install a chairman
for Nigerian Governors' Forum failed at the weekend
because of suspected protest votes from angry governors
who detested the president's decision to switch his support
from Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State to Governor
Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State without properly communicating
the change to his supporters.
An insider in the whole affair told Sunday Trust that "for about
two months, the President had told Governor Shema to stand
against Governor Amaechi as chairman of the NGF. The Katsina
State governor has been campaigning and preparing his mind to
assume that position. However, about a week ago, Governor
Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State called Yuguda and told him
that Yuguda had become the president's choice, and that he
should prepare to stand for the election against Amaechi."
Our reporter learnt that at a meeting of northern governors at
about 11.00am last Friday, Governor Shema was asked to step
down for Yuguda, but he refused, claiming that if the president
didn't want him to stand for the election, Jonathan should have
informed him personally, and not through another governor.
Feeling very bitter, the Katsina State governor rejected all
entreaties from northern governors for him to step down for
Yuguda.
Sunday Trust learnt further that at about 3.00pm last Friday,
when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors met to
finalise their plot ahead of the election, the governors were
shocked at what happened. Governor Akpabio was said to have
put his hand into his pocket and brought out a paper, claiming
that President Jonathan had written the letter to him, saying
neither Yuguda nor Shema was his candidate. According to
Akpabio, the president, before he travelled to Addis Ababa for
the African Union (AU) summit, had decided that Governor Jonah
Jang of Plateau State should be the person to stand against
Amaechi at the election.
"Northern governors were confused and angry at the
development," the insider confided in Sunday Trust. "You know,
it's not all northern governors who would support Governor
Jang's candidature, and that was why, though 19 of the governors
signed the document claiming to support Jonathan's candidate, at
the polls, about three of them reneged and may have voted for
Governor Amaechi."
The document, Sunday Trust learnt last night, was not signed at
the weekend. "It was signed last Thursday at the Economic
Council Meeting in order to give an assurance to President
Jonathan that his own candidate would carry the day," an insider
told our reporter.
During the election, it was clear that most opposition governors,
especially those of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All
Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and the Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC), voted for Governor Amaechi. Also, from the list
circulated by Governor Akpabio, it was apparent that northern
governors like Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, Sule Lamido of
Jigawa State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State, Aliyu
Wamakko of Sokoto State, Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, though
of the PDP, did not support the candidature of Jonah Jang and
may not have voted for him.
This may not be unconnected with the cold war between some of
these governors and President Jonathan over a purported
agreement signed in 2010, in which Jonathan was said to have
vowed not to seek re-election in 2015. At least, Governor
Babangida Aliyu had severally claimed that there is a subsisting
agreement on the issue and that Jonathan could not go against it.
Secondly, Governor Nyako may still have his grudges against The
Presidency over the way the executive of the party loyal to him in
Adamawa State was sacked and a team loyal to PDP's National
Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has been put in its place.
With that singular action, Nyako has lost control of the party in
his state. There are fears that this treatment could be meted out
to several other PDP governors who oppose Jonathan's ambition,
ahead of the 2015 polls. Already, in Rivers State, the party's
executive loyal to Governor Amaechi has been removed. It has
been replaced a team that supports Jonathan's loyalist and
Minister of State for Education, Mr Nyesom Wike.

http://m.naij.com/news/35318.html

What is special about governor forum?Are they not same group of thieves that are ruining their states.

It is more like the gathering of the mob bosses for the election of boss of all bosses.The cosa nostras.

overtake don overtake overtake

There is nothing like Jobathan shooting himself in the foot here. To me, he has just actualised what he set it to achieve ie weaken the governors forum.

redsun: What is special about governor forum?

The same question i asked yesterday. Though i got a response but all the same majority of Nigerians do not care as long as they have nothing to benefit from it. The only thing that caught my attention is the manner at which the chairmanship election was conducted. apart from that, who cares?

Sunny_bobo: There is nothing like Jobathan shooting himself in the foot here. To me, he has just actualised what he set it to achieve ie weaken the governors forum.

and you think it's a laudable achievement to weaken the governors forum? You don't see anything wrong in the President interfering in the governors forum?

berem: and you think it's a laudable achievement to weaken the governors forum? You don't see anything wrong in the President interfering in the governors forum?

The governors forum has outlived its usefulness. It's unconstitutional and a clog in the wheels of our development.

Do you have any evidence of the president's alleged interference in the Forum's activities?

Sunny_bobo: There is nothing like Jobathan shooting himself in the foot here. To me, he has just actualised what he set it to achieve ie weaken the governors forum.

You once claimed monopoly to knowledge of English Language when it comes to grammar and spellings but I just checked some of your posts and you are not all you claimed to be.



"set" WRONG


sets CORRECT


"Jobathan" WRONG


Jonathan RIGHT

NGF! Those guys get clout o! When they act in unison they can make Aso rock a seat of hot coal. I guess GEJ wants to pocket them like OBJ or weaken them. Haha, the election is a case study of what is coming.

automaticcarzz:


You once claimed monopoly to knowledge of English Language when it comes to grammar and spellings but I just checked some of your posts and you are not all you claimed to be.



"set" WRONG


sets CORRECT


"Jobathan" WRONG


Jonathan RIGHT