The
efforts of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to douse the tension
among the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic
Party have failed.
Obasanjo met with the governors on
Tuesday night at the Presidential Villa, Abuja to intervene in the
crisis rocking the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
A major decision at the meeting was to
persuade both Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi; and his Plateau
counterpart, Jonah Jang, to step down for a neutral person as Chairman
of the NGF.
But The PUNCH learnt on Wednesday that the two governors had refused to step down.
Amaechi and Jang are both claiming the
chairmanship of the forum since its controversial election three months
ago. The NGF has since split into two with Amaechi and Jang controlling
different factions.
Before the Tuesday’s meeting, which
ended at a few minutes after 3am, Obasanjo had earlier met with the
governors on Monday night.
The two meetings were said to have
centred on discipline in the PDP, the NGF crisis and sundry issues among
which are the crisis in Rivers State; matter of automatic tickets for
political office holders, and lack of cohesion among the governors.
On Wednesday, it was gathered that some
of the governors in the Jang faction of the NGF raised the matter of
persuading both Jang and Amaechi to step down but those in the Amaechi
Camp objected, saying that the matter was beyond what could be discussed
at the meeting.
Though a source at Monday’s meeting said
that there was hope that the issue would be resolved, he said that the
matter assumed a new dimension at the resumed meeting on Tuesday when
both parties refused to shift ground.
A source close to the two governors, on
Wednesday, said, “There was nothing like that. Both of them have agreed
to stick to their mandate.”
He added that though Jang was “almost
ready to step down because those who voted for him were at the meeting,
Amaechi however said he needed to meet those who elected him since his
supporters cut across party lines during the election.”
The source added that Obasanjo had agreed to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan on the matter.
Speaking through the Plateau State
Commissioner for Information, Mr. Yiljap Abraham, Jang said, “The
meeting is still inconclusive.”
The Rivers State Commissioner for
Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, described Amaechi
as a defender of democratic principles and would not hesitate to yield
to the opinion of the governors that voted him as their chairman.
Semenitari, who spoke with one of our
correspondents in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, explained that the
governors had not asked Amaechi to step down, so he remained the NGF
chairman,
She said, “What I know is that Nigerians
are aware of the democratic process by which the chairman of the
Nigeria Governors’ Forum was picked. As far as I know Governor Chibuike
Amaechi, I also know that he believes that the democratic process should
not in any way be one that we will treat with levity.
“Everybody who knows Amaechi knows that
he does defend democratic principles. What I am certain of is that the
Chairman of the NGF as of today is Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi
Amaechi.
“But if all of the governors, especially
the governors who voted for Governor Amaechi, ask him to step down,
that would mean that the majority of the governors have decided that
there should be a new chairman. Naturally, he would concede to his
colleagues. But today, that is not the case.”
Meanwhile, one of the aggrieved northern
governors, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, on Wednesday met with the
President behind closed-doors at the Villa, Abuja.
That was the first time Nyako would meet with Jonathan alone since the crises rocking the PDP and the NGF started.
While speaking with State House
correspondents at the end of his meeting with Jonathan, Nyako insisted
that Jang did not have any claim to the NGF chairmanship because he did
not win the election.
When asked specifically whether the
governors resolved at their recent meeting with Obasanjo that both Jang
and Amaechi should step down as the chairman of the NGF, the governor
said, “You are saying Jang should step down, step down for what? Did he
win the election? What we are saying here is that if he is going to step
down because he is second winner, then that is their business and it is
not the business of others or the winner to tell him to step down. He
is number two, he got the second highest votes and that is the way
forward. Step down for what? From number two to where? Number three or
four?”
Nyako said the crisis in the NGF was unnecessary because it was clear that Amaechi won the election.
He said one of the criteria of electing a leader for the forum was that their chairman must be trustworthy.
He said while the governors wanted a
chairman that would have a cordial relationship with the President, they
could not be comfortable with a chairman that would turn himself to the
President’s “yes man.”
Nyako said, “The election in the
governors’ forum has become an issue. It should not be an issue. When
you say 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, even someone who is in elementary school
knows which one is higher.
“If one group got 19 votes and the other
got 16, in a democracy even in the eyes of the people in elementary
school, they know that 19 is higher than 16. It should not be turned
into a controversy.”
When asked whether the NGF issue was
discussed in the meeting with Obasanjo, he simply said, “It was part of
it but you should understand the rationale.”
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The suggestion to step down should not arise. Somebody won the election. If Amaechi steps down, the wishes of the powers causing confusion will have been served.
ReplyDeleteI support the idea of the both NGF factional leaders to step down. It is a solid moved and wise suggestion.
ReplyDeletePride and Self Ego is the problem with this politicians. They don't want to accept defeat in a fight so that they wont be seen as losers. they want relevance, be on-top all the time. It is the battle of supremacy and control. And this is not for you and me, rather for their self-ego and recognizance. Trust me, neither Amaechi nor Jang would want to concede defeat. For Jang and his cohorts, they are feeling guilty in their conscience but afraid to lose their battle of supremacy, likewise Amaechi who truely may have won the so called NGF election. He wont give up because he will be seen a weak and easily defeated fellow, feeling humiliation and allowing the wishes of his opponents to triumph. Both will stretch this for so long until the rope in the middle will strain and cut on his own which will bring the dawn of revolution, bloodshed and bloodbath, turbulence and possible anniliation of one side. Until one group is ready to shallow it's pride and count every gain on earth including position, relevance and ambition, as dung, this fight wont end. That is an evidence, they both are yet to have encounter with the humble Saviour Jesus Christ. Would Jesus Christ whom Amaechi and Jang claim to follow his steps do this they are doing right now? What would Jesus do in this circumstances? would he call fire and brimstones on his rivals? Till today, many still dont accept Christ as the KING of Kings, does Jesus fight those his rejectors as these two acclaimed pretenders chose to do?
ReplyDeleteIf he (Amechi) steps down, who takes over? A newly elected Chairman? I don't think it will be proper he steps down 'cos if he does, GEJ would have succeeded in his plans. Definitely, he (GEJ) will install one of sycophant governors. That is not what we want. GEJ should be taught on how not to twat the laws of nature, he should be made to understand that the he cannot telling us that green colour is blue when all of us are looking and seeing the visible green colour. FOOL!
ReplyDeleteBoth governors should heed the wise counsel of the elders. They should not disrespect OBJs view over this matter. The man is a political guru whether anyone likes it or not.
ReplyDeleteThis is Anonymous 2:28 and i want to ask Anonymous 3:05 why both governors should step down? Do you think it is fair to Amechi who had 19 against Jang's 16? To me it isn't fair. Except you want to tell Nigerians that abnormalities will keep thriving in this country.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Jang fighting for? This is the same Story liken to Solomon in the Bible of the two women who were struggling for the Child that was alive. Divide the child into two so that we will have our parts.Why should a winner step down? Jang wants both to step down so that the winner will loose. Do we have conscience in this country? God will forgive us.
ReplyDeleteWhats the essence of NGF it has no meaning sitting round the table how to embezzle their state money....rubish
ReplyDelete