PDP Governors to Boycott Amaechi’S NGF Meeting
Eleven days to handover, the rank of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) remains divided, the Daily Times can authoritatively report.
A unified meeting of the Governors, scheduled for 8p.m. on Monday (today) at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, will be boycotted by the David Jang faction of the body, it was learnt last night.
The meeting was confirmed by the Director General of the Rotimi Amaechi leadership of the forum, Asishana Okauru.
However, his counterpart in the Jang faction, Mr Osaro Naiwu, told the Daily Times last night that the meeting would be boycotted by his side.
The Governors had been split in two since 2013, with a faction pledging loyalty to Jang, the Governor of Plateau State, while the other group has remained with Amaechi, then of the PDP but who later defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Amaechi was believed to have been seen as loyal to the APC. An election to produce a new leadership for the NGF between the Rivers State Governor and his Plateau State counterpart ended in a fiasco. Amaechi reportedly had 19 votes to Jang’s 16.
Some of the PDP Governors faulted the voting process and reaffirmed loyalty for Jang.
PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday reported that Okauru confirmed today’s meeting adding that all the governors had agreed to attend.
He was also reported as saying that the major agenda of the meeting would be to look at the activities of the forum over time, saying, “We have not really met as one since May 2013”.
He added that Amaechi would be the one giving the updates to his colleagues.
“We would also try to explore the possibility of getting new leaders,” he added.
Mr. Okauru said all second term governors were eligible to emerge, adding, however, that a consensus arrangement might be considered. He said governors-elect would not participate in the meeting until after the handover of power on May 29.
When contacted, however, Naiwu told Daily Times that the 16 Governors on the Jang side would not attend the meeting.
He said, with emphasis: “We will not be there. The Governors of the Jang faction will not attend.”
