From TAIWO AMODU, Abuja
Ahead of the election of a new chairman for the forum of 36 states governors, the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), some governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have started arriving in Abuja . A source disclosed to Daily Sun that the election has been fixed for Friday while the anti-Amaechi forces are expected to hold a crucial meeting today.
The governors in the race are the incumbent Chairman of the forum and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and the Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema. Leading the camp of Governor Shema is the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum (GF) and Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio. Other governors in the team are Theodore Orji, Gabriel Suswam, Seriake Dickson and Peter Obi, governors of Abia, Benue, Bayelsa and Anambra States respectively.
Incidentally, Governor Obi is the deputy chairman of the forum. The governors pushing for the re-election of Governor Amaechi are Sule Lamido and Babangida Aliyu, governors of Jigawa and Niger states. Aliyu, it was gathered, has been using his position as chairman of Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) to sell the candidacy of Rotimi Amaechi.
Daily Sun findings further revealed that while Governor Akpabio, on the prompting of the presidency has been selling stridently, Governor Ibrahim Shema as consensus candidate, his Niger State counterpart has been getting negative signals from certain northern states governors who have since withdrawn their support for Governor Amaechi. Daily Sun source particularly cited governors of Yobe, Borno, Adamawa and Zamfara states.
"Recall that the Federal Government just last week proclaimed state of emergency in three of the states I mentioned. They are wary that open support for an enemy of Mr. President (in this case, Governor Amaechi) could be politically suicidal for them," Daily Sun source further submitted.
Via: Sun News Online