NGF election: Democracy at work

[Mirror]

In spite of intimidation deployed against him, Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi yesterday won his re-election as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors' Forum, NGF.

For Amaechi, it was a sweet and hard won victory. The opposition governors also produced the vicechairman of the forum in Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari (Zamfara) of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP.

With this victory, President Jonathan has lost two battles to Amaechi. Just on Thursday, the House of Representatives' report indicted his administration over the grounding of the Bombardier BD 700-1A11 (565RS) aircraft belonging to the Rivers State government.

The report of the Joint Committee on Justice and Aviation decried the undue interference of the Aviation Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah, in the registration and grounding of the aircraft.

Amaechi defeated President Jonathan's anointed candidate, Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, polling 19 votes. Jang polled 16 votes while Yobe State governor, Ibrahim Geidam, was absent.

The President had insisted that Amaechi must not return as NGF chair. Hence, he propped up Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shema for the exalted seat. And faced with imminent defeat, President Jonathan conscripted Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda into the race. Even this effort did not move the governors. Again, President Jonathan and his camp sprang surprises on the D-day when the PDP governors adopted Jang as a consensus candidate.

Again, the President could not muster enough support among the governors to save his face.

The implication of the election is that President Jonathan has lost huge support among the 36 state governors.

No doubt, the outcome of the NGF election may affect his electoral fortune in the 2015 presidential elections. To political pundits, Jonathan's defeat may deal a big blow to his re-election as the opposition has the upper hand in the control of the NGF.

With the outcome of the election, Amaechi has successfully divided the ranks of the PDP governors. PDP has 23 state governors but lost the election after securing 16 votes. Even, two of the governors – Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) and Peter Obi (Anambra) – were part of the 16. By implication, Jonathan was able to secure the support of 14 of the 23 PDP governors.

Even in his Niger Delta base, the governors were divided between Jonathan and Amaechi. In the election, the President could only count on the support of Governors Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), his foot soldiers. Governors Amaechi and Adams Oshimhole (Edo) are not with him, while Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan and Liyel Imoke played a neutral role.

In the South-West, the support base of the President was not enough for him to secure the 25 per cent of the total votes from the six states of Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun and Osun.

A breakdown of the figure shows that the President could only secure the support of eight Northern governors. This is based on the premise that three governors from the South-South, four governors from the South-East, except Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and one from the South-West (Mimiko), voted for Jang. The remaining eight governors are from the North which has 19 governors.

This also shows that the President's support among the Northern governors is below average.

Ordinarily, the PDP ought to have had its way. But this is not the first time the party would be losing a battle to its members. A similar scenario played out in the House of Representatives in 2011 over the choice of leadership of the House. Against President Jonathan and PDP's choice, Aminu Tambuwal emerged the Speaker of the House.

The outcome of the election has shown that democracy is at work. It is only hoped that the PDP and President Jonathan will put their house in order to avoid defeat in 2015.

The rejection of the election outcome by 19 governors is still part of the intrigues over the NGF election. It is hoped that the President's men will beat a retreat, not only for their good but for the general good of the country

National Mirror