AS efforts are being made to reconcile the two factions of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), the factional chairman of the forum, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, at the weekend, said his rival, Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, virtually turned himself to a dictator during his first term as chairman of the forum.
But in a swift reaction, the government of Rivers State noted that soon, other governors who knew the facts of the matter would reply Governor Jang.
Jang, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, at the new secretariat of the forum, said the forum never had any ratified constitution where it stated that a sitting chairman could be re-elected.
He added that it was only Governor Amaechi that knew where he got that portion of the constitution that said a sitting chairman could be re-elected.
He made it clear that the governors never met to ratify the constitution, adding that the only time governors met over the alleged constitution was when Vice-President Namadi Sambo was still governor of Kaduna State and that the constitution was never ratified to accommodate a sitting chairman re-contesting.
According to him,”Governor Ameachi virtually became a dictator, dictating everything. He brought a constitution that many of us have never seen or aware of. The only time we looked into the constitution was when Namadi Sambo was still there and there was no where that says a sitting chairman could be re-elected. The constitution was never ratified.”
He said the video coverage of the election was morally corrupt and fake as the forum had never called journalists to video its proceedings, insisting that it was Governor Ameachi that planted the camera in his house.
Also, Cross River State governor, Liyel Imoke, said NGF election had always been by consensus in the last 14 years of its existence, in order to avoid rancour that might follow such election.
According to him, “t is a consensus between the North and the South that it will be one term. For 14 years of the existence of the NGF, there has never been an election. The reason we agreed on consensus is that it will be rancour-free.”
Also speaking, vice-chairman of the forum, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, said no one governor would say that he was proud of what happened on that day and blamed Governor Ameachi for the “shameful act.”
He said he did not vote during the election; that 18 governors had earlier endorsed Governor Jang for the chairmanship position and that after the election, 18 governors attended the meeting called by Jang.
According to him, “Ameachi cannot preside over an election in which he is contesting, apart from the fact that he printed the ballot papers, provided the ballot boxes and appointed electoral officer against the principle of democratic practice.”
On his own, Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, said that election had always been by consensus and that that was the process that brought Governor Ameachi to office when seven governors and six deputies elected him in Ilorin, Kwara State in 2011.
He said the South-East governors had earlier endorsed him for the position before Governor Ameachi was suddenly picked.
Commenting on the allegation of Governor Jang, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, said she was not competent to respond to the governor’s comment as she was not in the league of governors, assuring that governors would soon respond to their colleague’s comment.
“I’m just a commissioner; I am not competent to respond on matters of the NGF. I cannot respond to the allegations of the governor of Plateau State. But I believe that among the governors, they know what the facts are and I can assure you that in no time, his colleagues will respond to Governor Jang’s comment,” Semenitari said.
Source: Tribune