Mimiko, Nwayanwu fault video clips on NGF election

Ondo State Governor, who is also a factional Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, and the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwayanwu, on Wednesday faulted video clips allegedly recorded during the NGF election held last Friday in Abuja.

The duo spoke at the democracy lecture delivered by the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs, Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, in Akure.

Mimiko, who described the release of the 10-minute video clips as the height of propaganda by the pro-Governor Rotimi Amaechi's camp, challenged the originators to release the three-hour recording of the entire process.

He argued that the purported recorded clips released to an online medium on Tuesday merely covered an aspect, which represented the mischievous intention of the pro-Amaechi group.

Mimiko said, "Nigerians should ask the pro-Amaechi's group why he presided over an election, which he is also contesting. I specifically raised that issue and insisted that he must resign but his supporters maintained that he should supervise the poll as a sitting chairman.

"They asked me whether I resigned my position while seeking a re-election for a second term in office and I replied them that it was not the same thing, because the NGF is like an association; not a democratic institution which had its existence entrenched in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"When it was obvious that we could not guarantee the source of the ballot boxes and ballot papers brought by Amaechi, I protested again that we should conduct the election openly by raising up our hands in support of our preferred candidate, again, they rejected.

"The ballot papers they produced were without serial numbers, and we discovered this was a fraud; hence there were protests.

"They never captured all these facts but merely recorded the fraction of the process, which was in line with their pre-determined agenda. I challenge them to release the clips which will cover the entire three-exercise."

Nwayanwu, who also described the purported emergence of Ameachi as the factional chairman of the NGF as a fraud, said he ought to have given up the claim to NGF chairman when it was obvious that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, had pitched its tent with Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau state.

He also said since election had never been held to produce the NGF Chairman, the emergence of Amaechi could not have been in comformity with the regulations setting up the organisation.

The LP chairman said the fact that 18 out of the 35 governors that voted attended the meeting called by Jang as NGF head, cast moral burden on the 19 votes Amaechi purported to have got in the election held a day earlier.

Nwayanwu said since the days of Governor Adamu Abdullahi of Nasarawa State to Dr. Bukola Saraki of Kwara state, election had never been held for the chairmanship position of NGF. He, therefore, wondered where Amaechi got his legitimacy from.

He said, "Amaechi should not allow overzealous and anxious politicians to destroy his future. He is still young, about 48 years old now. He should go back and reconcile with his party.

"A party is always supreme. If he cannot abide by the philosophy of the PDP, he is free to leave. He can join the APC or come to LP; but in our party, the party is always supreme."



Punch