NGF gets new chairman on Friday

Baring last minute changes, the Chairman of Nigeria Governors' Forum will emerge on Friday.

The Director-General of NGF, Mr. Asishana Okauru, confirmed this to one of our correspondents in a telephone interview in Abuja on Tuesday.

When asked if the election  of a new chairman for the forum would be part of Friday's meeting, he answered, "Yes."

He, however, did not give further details but added that "Friday has been fixed for the meeting."

Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam; his Niger counterpart, Babangida Aliyu; and Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, who attended an event together in Abuja on Monday, were still sighted in the city on Tuesday.

It was gathered that although they attended the Northern Governors Wives Peace Forum on Monday, they met separately with stakeholders at night.

The PUNCH gathered that Akpabio, who is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors' Forum, used his visit to strengthen the party's game plan to ensure that Amaechi does not return as chairman.

A reliable source confided in one of our correspondents that the PDPGF chairman began his moves at the Presidential Villa on Monday.

The source said, "Akpabio has started collecting signatures of governors with which he hopes to use to forestall an open election.

"Their plan is to get, at least, 19 signatures so that they can move that an election for the position of Chairman is no longer necessary.

"As plan B, the President and his team are working towards having a caretaker committee in place, in case they cannot get the required number of signatures.

"This strategy will fail because there is no provision for a caretaker committee in the NGF Constitution.

"If there is no election, Amaechi remains in office, until that is done.

"As of this time, the exact number of those who had signed is not clear but Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, has refused to sign, insisting that he be allowed to vote in line with his conscience."

It remains to be seen whether the governors of the three states under emergency rule - Murtala Nyako, Adamawa State; Kashim Shettima, Borno State; and Gaidam of Yobe State will return the "favour" done them by the President.


punch