Factional chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, and three other members of his group – Governors Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Peter Obi (Anambra) and Liyel Imoke (Cross River) – are blaming the Chairman of the rival group, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, of igniting the crisis in the Forum.
They alleged that Amaechi insisted on going for second term as the NGF chairman in the name of an "unknown constitution", and contrary to the Forum's convention stipulating one term only for the incumbent chairman.
The four governors spoke at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday.
Jang, who alleged that Amaechi as Chairman of the NGF, turned himself into a dictator, stressed that there was never anywhere in the Forum's constitution that a Chairman could be re-elected.
The Plateau governor explained that there was no time governors met to ratify the constitution, adding that the only time they parleyed on the issue was when Vice President Namadi Sambo was still the governor of Kaduna State, insisting the constitution was never ratified to accommodate a sitting Chairman re-contesting, "contrary to what Amaechi was propagating".
he governor said, "Amaechi virtually became a dictator, dictating everything. He brought in a constitution that many of us had never seen or aware of. The only time we looked into the constitution was when Namadi Sambo was still there and there was nowhere that says a sitting Chairman could be re-elected. The constitution was never ratified."
Describing the video coverage of the election as improper, the factional NGF chairman said, "We have never called journalists to video our proceedings; if it is Amaechi that planted the camera, it is morally corrupt".
When asked why the Forum had not intervened in the suspension of the Rivers governor from the PDP, Jang, who noted that the matter was not the business of NGF, but, that of the PDP Governors Forum, said that Amaechi had not formally reported the matter to the NGF.
Speaking on how elections had been conducted by the NGF since 1999, the Cross River governor, Imoke, who explained that the elections had always been by consensus, said the reason was to avoid acrimony that would otherwise emanate after election.
Imoke said, "It is a consensus between the North and South that it will be one term. For the 14 years of the existence of the NGF, there has never been an election. The reason we agreed on consensus is because it will be divisive.
Mimiko,. who expressed worry over the unfolding scenario, said that not one governor would say he was very proud of what happened at the Forum.
The Ondo governor blamed the Rivers governor for the development, saying he (mimiko) did not vote during the election, but that 18 governors endorsed Jang for the chairmanship position. He added that the day after the election, 18 members reported when Jang called for a meeting.
According to him, Amaechi, notwith-standing that he was a contender in the poll, took over everything, including the printing of the ballot papers and procurement of ballot boxes which, according to him, was against the principle of democratic practice. He stated that had the governors in opposition to Amaechi walked out during the election, which was one of the options, Nigerians would have misconstrued it to mean another thing, adding that the other option was for them to smash the ballot box.
He challenged whoever carried out the video coverage during the election to show the total clips. Mimiko described the NGF as a voluntary association any governor could decide to leave anytime.
According to him, the best thing to do before the election was for Amaechi to step down for somebody else to preside over the election, but Amaechi "insisted that he will not vacate the seat before the election".
S/East govs endorsed me – Obi
Obi said South-east governors had endorsed him for the governors forum chair before Amaechi was picked for the position in 2011, adding that he lost the position because he was not from PDP.
A letter, signed by his colleagues from the four other South-Easter states: Theodore Orji, Martins Elechi, Sullivan Chime and Ohakim, with reference number SEGF/S/GOVS/INT/1/022 and addressed to Saraki, who was then Chairman of NGF, with the heading "nomination of Mr. Peter Obi", said, "We, the governors of the South-east of Nigeria wish to respectfully nominate Mr. Peter Obi, Governor of Anambra state of Nigeria as a candidate for the position of Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum.
"Our action in this regard is unanimous as a zone and is borne of our firm conviction that he will discharge the functions of this office with credibility, dedication and due diligence".
The Anambra governor said he was surprised that the meeting, which was supposed to be a valedictory session for the former Kwara governor and NGF Chairman, was turned to an election event, where Amaechi emerged as Saraki's successor, adding that he was then begged to accept the position of Vice Chairman.
He described the Forum as an association that is not recognised by the Nigeria constitution, adding that the NGF was a trouble for him when he was Vice Chairman.
Meanwhile, Saraki, yesterday, faulted Obi over the claim that the South-east governors endorsed him for the NGF chair before Amaechi was suddenly picked for the position in 2011, saying the Anambra governor was rejected.
The former Kwara State governor, who explained that Obi was rejected because he was not a member of majority party, stressed that there was no trade off, as it was the convention that the party with the majority governors should produce the chairman of the NGF and he was not in the party.
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