Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi
on Wednesday lamented the crisis rocking the Nigeria Governors’ Forum
and then threw a bombshell: 2015 elections may end up like that of the
NGF.
“Let me put it on record that the way
things are going, 2015 elections will end in this manner where people
will win democratic elections and those in power will not accept the
results,” he said at a stakeholders’ symposium on the review of the
1999 Constitution in Abuja.
Amaechi, who won the May 24 NGF
election in Abuja, wondered why some people would be backing Governor
Jonah Jang of Plateau State, who contested against him and lost.
Amaechi described Jang and his
supporters as non-democrats and accused the Nigeria Bar Association of
losing its voice by failing to condemn the actions taken by Jang and
his supporters after the NGF poll.
President Goodluck Jonathan is the
major supporter of the Jang faction of the NGF and Amaechi’s outburst
appeared to the audience to be mostly directed at him (the
President).
Amaechi, who said he had been trying
to avoid the microphone because of too many problems in the country,
told the gathering that since he had been made to mount the rostrum,
he was ready to make “headlines.”
First, he blasted the NBA, then Jang
and the “government that supports him”. Amaechi described himself as
the authentic NGF chairman, saying that what Jang was leading was a
faction of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum.
The governor said, “The NBA cannot
afford to lose its voice, but you have lost your voice. For the NBA to
see a free and fair election, where 35 governors who govern 35 states
in the nation, who make decisions for hundreds of millions of
Nigerians, for NBA to say that ‘if they can’t organise themselves
dissolve,’ you have lost your voice.
“I say it and I want to be put on record that anybody who supports the Jang group is undemocratic.
“Before that the NGF election, we
chose who will be the returning officer , we appointed our
director-general to be the returning officer and we voted.
“Everybody voted. Everybody, including Jang. Jang was even among the first persons to vote.
“When I won my brother from Akwa Ibom
State(Godswill Akpabio) stood up and said, ‘there’s a document I have
where 19 governors have signed for us.’
“And Jang says the Northern States
Governors’ Forum supported him. Which Northern governors? They should
have voted for him. He also said the PDP governors supported him
before the election, then the PDP governors should have voted for him.
“What you have that Jang is leading is another faction of the PDP Governors’ Forum, not the NGF.
“Anybody, whether NBA or government that supports Jang’s faction is undemocratic.”
He urged Nigerians and the judiciary to rise up and defend their rights.
Amaechi said, “My Lords, you must
defend our democracy and Nigeria. We don’t have any other country
anywhere else, the only country we have is this.
“We must be prepared as a people to
defend our rights; we must be prepared as a people to hold government
accountable. We must be prepared as a people to demand accountability.”
Amaechi urged Nigerians to resist a
situation “where non-government officers that have no public function
can order the Inspector-General of Police to change commissioners of
police.”
The governor, who stated that it was
not proper for the President to appoint commissioners of police, said
there was the need for state police to be included in the ongoing
constitution review.
Apparently referring to his problems
with the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Amaechi said, “You
were talking about state prisons and state police. We don’t have state
prisons; we don’t have state police.
“A situation where governors are left
helpless and hopeless because somebody here in Abuja determines who
becomes my commissioner of police, and tells him what to do, and he
makes the city uncomfortable and ungovernable, is not the kind of
constitution that I will want to support.”
Although Amaechi’s insistence on being
the authentic NGF chairman was corroborated by Niger State Governor and
Chairman of the N S G F , Babangida Aliyu,on Wednesday, Jang
dismissed the Rivers State governor’s claim that he (Jang) was
leading a faction of the PDP Governors’ Forum.
Jang, who spoke through the Sole
Administrator of his NGF faction secretariat, Mr. Osaro Onaiwu,
wondered if Amaechi was leading the opposition governors forum.
Onaiwu said, “The governors of Ondo
and Anambra States, Dr. Olusegun Mimimo and Mr. Peter Obi respectively,
are they members of the PDP?
“These governors are members of the
Labour Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, yet Amaechi is
saying we are leading a faction of the PDP Governors’ Forum.
“Is he not a member of the PDP himself?
The Governor of Kano State, Dr. Rabiu Kwakwanso nominated Jang for the
position. Is he not a member of the PDP as well?
“The Governor of Akwa Ibom State is the
chairman of the PDPGF. If Jang is leading a faction of the PDPGF,
which faction is Amaechi leading? The opposition governors’ forum?”
But Aliyu said at the turbaning of his Deputy, Ahmed Ibeto, as the Wali Raya Kasar Nupe and the PDP Chairman in the state, Abduraman Enagi, as Sardauna Ayuka Nupe by the Estu Nupe Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, that Amaechi won the NGF election.
Aliyu, who also gave insight into what
happened during the NSGF meeting ahead of the NGF poll,
maintained that no Northern governor betrayed anybody.
He said, “Many people have been asking
why governors could not unite to elect a leader. But my answer is
that we were united and we elected a chairman. If anybody recognises
another person as a chairman, the onus is on us to solve our problem.
We must recognise Governor Amaechi as NGF chairman”.
“Governor Jang emerged as a candidate
from the north after the NSGF discovered that there was an issue
between Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda and the Kastina State Governor
Ibrahim Shema.”
He said the NSGF intervened and agreed
that Jang should contest.I told them that we must go and insist on
consensus but in a situation where election took place, the
conscience of the people prevailed”.
Aliyu added, “Thirty-five governors
voted. Nineteen voted for one candidate and 16 for a particular
candidate. Those who go around destroying reputation should just bury
their hatchets.”
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gov jang, old age should give you wisdom that you were played, pls humble urself under Amaechi and stop embarrassing urself and ur office. thanks
ReplyDeleteJang group are shameless, why take part in d election in d 1st place?
ReplyDeleteThe Rivalry between the North and GEJ has been shifted to Ameachi and GEJ.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it,GEJ is the only president in Nigerian history who has received a threat from those who believe they are king makers that they will make the nation ungovernable.
Since then the nation continue to allocate huge Money that is supposed to be for development to Security. They are so powerful that they use their media houses and press to sow seed of hate against the Government.
Am not from South-South and I don't know GEJ personally,but when you stand for Nothing,, then you will be standing for Anything. POLITICIANS ARE ALL THE SAME.
The Rivalry between the North and GEJ has been shifted to Ameachi and GEJ.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it,GEJ is the only president in Nigerian history who has received a threat from those who believe they are king makers that they will make the nation ungovernable.
Since then the nation continue to allocate huge Money that is supposed to be for development to Security. They are so powerful that they use their media houses and press to sow seed of hate against the Government.
Am not from South-South and I don't know GEJ personally,but when you stand for Nothing,, then you will be standing for Anything. POLITICIANS ARE ALL THE SAME.
These governors are expected to be honourable citizens who took part in a controversial election. Couldn't these governors all stand out to be publicly counted along the line of the declared result of 16:19? They all know whom they voted for and should be ready to defend their votes publicly. They are just 35. The manner in which this crisis is resolved determines the direction or volatility of 2015 general elections.
ReplyDeleteNigeria Governors Forum can be sub divided into
ReplyDelete1) PDP GF
2) Opposition GF
3) Northern State GF
4) Southern State GF
5) PDP Faction GF
Just among 36 members, all this types exist. This pple should just stop painting themselves as executive idiots...
There is no doubt that the Presidency is underneath as architect of this NGF crisis. Why should the institution recognise a faction when it was clear to everyone that Amaechi won the election? No matter the skimming, GEJ has lost it absolutely.
ReplyDeletewhy are nigerians wasting time and energy on an illegal body as NGF, we have more pressing national problems than who is NGF chairman, please.
ReplyDelete@emex:you better shutup your mouth if you dont have anything reasonable to comment on, i dont really know why you cant make good use of your head just for once.No body is making the situation difficult or ungovernable for gej, the plain truth is that gej lack experience and foresight to be the leader of this great nation and those sorrouding him in his carbinet are inresponsible that also lack the qualities of leadership.so emex the erlier you get this into your skull the better for you and stop deciving yourself.
ReplyDeleteThe election that brought this amechi into office is it fair...is now u know that when u don chup bele food God will geoge all of you...i know all of u are just deceiving us
ReplyDelete