The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria has said that the crisis rocking the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) is capable of posing a big threat to the 2015 elections if not addressed by the stakeholders .
The first secretary of The Netherland Embassy, Ms Anique Claessen, expressed the view in Abuja during a one-day participatory meeting on “Road Map to a Sustainable Electoral System in Nigeria’’.
The meeting was organised by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) with support from the embassy.
Claessen said, “If a small group of 36 cannot agree on and respect the outcome of a democratic election, what are the prospects for elections involving millions?”
She added that it was only when the electoral process was open, transparent and legitimate as well as void of corruption and rigging that the prospects for accepting the results could increase.
According to her, attention should be focused on improving the internal democratic processes of political parties.
She also noted that the nomination of candidates had often been characterised by a process of selection rather than election.
She expressed concern that the present security situation posed a threat to peaceful, free and fair elections in 2015.
“The 2015 presidential elections are likely to be contested and the stakes will be high at the local level, even though competition can be healthy and considered to be a sign of deepening democracy.”
She advised INEC to consolidate on its role and mandate institutionally and politically to ensure the sustainability of its success toward the general elections in 2015.
In his speech on the occasion, the chairman of TMG, Alhaji Ibrahim Zikirullah, stressed the need for political parties to be democratic, representative and inclusive in their operations.
Zikirullah expressed regret that most parties in Nigeria were either representing oligarchies or former power holders, adding that many of them were yet to adjust to the norms and practice of partisan politics.
He said, “Therefore, there is need for internal party reforms and the creation of new well-nuanced parties in Nigeria.”
In his own contribution, the chairman, Partners for Electoral Reforms (PER), Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, canvassed continued voter registration and education for them to be acquainted with the idea of switching over to polling units closest to them.
He also called for the removal of restriction of movement of people on Election Day and improved security during election rather than shutting down social and economic activities.
Amaechi leads 31 govs to Jonathan’s dinner
Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi yesterday led 31 governors, mostly those in his own faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), to a dinner launch of the book on President Goodluck Jonathan’s mid-term report held at the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
When asked by curious State House Correspondents whether his presence alongside other governors in his faction was an indication that the problem in NGF had been resolved, Amaechi denied outright that there were factions within the forum at the moment.
“Was NGF sick? I don’t know about factions. We were holding NGF meeting and we agreed that those of us who were there should honour the president and attend the dinner,” he said.
On whether he told the other factional chairman of the NGF, Governor Jonah Jang, that there was a meeting of the NGF yesterday, he said, “He (Jang) was invited. What is my business if he was not there? 16 governors voted for him, 19 governors voted for me.
“If he does not accept the 19, he is undemocratic. Anybody who supports him, including television houses, are also undemocratic. I have said it in a statement that if at any point in time we cannot uphold what 19 governors said, then we should be afraid of 2015.
“We must learn to be democratic. I am not aware that the party has given any reason for suspending me; if that is the reason, too bad. I am not aware that the party suspended me for winning an election,” he said.
On the way forward, Amaechi simply said, “That is the question to ask Jang and those who are supporting him. Those with me are in the majority”.
Thirty-two governors attended the dinner, as at the time of filing this report. The dinner was also well attended by eminent PDP members in the National Assembly and ministers.
Some of the state governors present at the dinner include governors of Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ogun, Taraba, Rivers, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Akwa-Ibom, Lagos, Sokoto, Bauchi, Benue, Anambra, Kano, Zamfara, Kogi, Ekiti, Ondo, Plateau, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Niger, Osun, Borno, Katsina, Bayelsa, and Oyo.
NGF: 15 governors attend Amaechi’s meeting
In a related development, six governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were among the 15 that yesterday graced the meeting called by the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
But the governors postponed the meeting in order to honour the dinner invitation of President Goodluck Jonathan at the presidential villa.
The meeting of the governors had coincided with a mid-term dinner organised by Jonathan. The meeting, scheduled for 8pm, was billed to discuss the Federal Allocation Account Committee (FAAC) as well as the issues surrounding the Excess Crude Account/Sovereign Wealth Fund. They were also supposed to talk about the crisis in the forum.
But barely 15 minutes into the meeting, the governors resolved to honour the president’s invitation.
The state governors in attendance were Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Titi Laoye-Tomori (Osun deputy governor), Abdulazeez Yari (Zamfara), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Alhaji Zannah Mustapha ( Borno deputy governor).
Speaking with journalists immediately after their brief meeting, Amaechi said the meeting was postponed to honour Jonathan’s invitation to a dinner.
He said, “There was no meeting. We decided to defer to the president. We agreed that, as compatriots and as governors of different states, we must honour and respect the president, and having invited us to a dinner, we decided to go for the dinner.”
He, however, said “the next meeting will be at the next National Economic Meeting (NEC).”
Corroborating him, Governor Kayode Fayemi said: “We are honouring the president’s invitation to dinner. If the dinner ends in good time, we will be back for our meeting. If it stretches longer than we anticipate, we would stick with the president.”
LEADERSHIP gathered that some other governors were prevailed upon not to bother coming since they had postponed the meeting in deferrence to the president.
The same number of governors - 16 - had recently graced Governor Jonah Jang’s meeting.
Amaechi was duly elected NGF chairman – Gov Aliyu
The chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu, has for the first time since the leadership saga rocked the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) said that Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi was duly elected as NGF chairman.
Governor Aliyu spoke yesterday at the turbaning of his deputy, Hon. Ahmed Ibeto, as Wali Raya Kasar Nupe and the state PDP chairman, Hon. Abduraman Enagi, as Sardauna Ayuka Nupe by Etsu Nupe Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, as part of activities to mark the Nupe Day celebration.
Aliyu, who gave an insight into what transpired during the NSGF meeting before the NGF election, stated that no northern governor betrayed anybody.
“Many people have been asking why governors could not unite themselves to elect a leader,” he said, “but we were united and elected a chairman. If other people recognised another person as chairman, we will solve our problem; we must recognise Amaechi as the NGF chairman.”
He however said that Plateau State governor Jonah Jang emerged as a candidate from the north after the NSGF discovered that there were undercurrent issues between Bauchi State governor Isa Yuguda and Kastina State governor Ibrahim Shema.
He added that the NSGF waded in and it was agreed that Jonah Jang should contest and let the two people drop their ambition. “Even at that, I told them that we must go and insist on consensus but where election took place, the conscience of the people prevailed,” he said. “Thirty-five Governors voted 19 for the other and 16 for a particular candidate. Those who go around destroying reputation should just bury their hatchet; we cannot go to 2015 with factions and disunited. There will be no progress. We must unite and come as a group”.
He added: “We must articulate our position as a state, region and as a people; whoever offers us the best, we will go with him. That is politics of democracy -- recognising the equality of other people.”
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