Governors' Forum tool of oppression, says Senator Aminu

Rotimi Amaechi

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Senator Jubril Aminu, on Tuesday described the Nigerian Governors’ Forum as strange and an instrument of oppressing the Federal Government and the people.

Aminu made the remark at a media briefing, organised by the Adamawa Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders in Yola.

“It is very strange. I worked in many countries and have not seen anything like such a forum.

“The Governors’ Forum is what is used to oppress everybody, including the president”, Aminu said.

He said the forum always ensured that state governors had their way in everything, including nominating who became an ambassador or member of the National Assembly.

“I don’t know how the forum came about in this country. And if it is not checked, it will put the country in serious trouble, as the state chief executives unite to challenge the Federal Government,” Aminu said.

He called for the application of internal democracy in the running of the political parties.

He cautioned against the politics of sentiments and stressed that the introduction of sentiments in the nomination of candidates would bring about tyrants in public office.

Aminu protested against the intervention of Gov. Sule Lamido committee in the crisis in Adamawa PDP and said he had no confidence in the choice of Lamido, because of his relationship with Gov. Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state.

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There was no immediate reaction from the secretariat of the Governors’ Forum in Abuja.

But P.M.NEWS learnt that the Forum was inspired by National Governors Association in the USA, founded in 1908 as the National Governors Conference.

Jubril Aminu: attacks Governors Forum
Observers were puzzled that Senator Aminu who used to be Nigeria’s ambassador in Washington DC a decade ago, claimed that he was not aware that such a body existed in the USA.

According to Wikipedia, the NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts, and private contributions.

“NGA serves as a key public policy liaison between the state governments and the federal government. NGA provides governors and their senior staff members with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and at the White House when discussing federal issues to developing policy reports on state programs and hosting networking seminars for state executive branch officials.

“The NGA Center for Best Practices focuses on state innovations and best practices on issues that range from education and health to technology, welfare reform, and the environment. NGA also provides management and technical assistance to both new and incumbent governors.

“NGA has adopted a policy in 1977 formalizing its standard practice for many years: The position of NGA chair alternates yearly between Republican and Democratic governors, so that neither party can control the position for two consecutive years. The vice chair is usually of the opposite party to the chair, and generally assumes the role of chair the following year. The current NGA chair is Governor Jack Markell of Delaware, a Democrat. The vice chair is Governor Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, a Republican.

“Bill Clinton is, to date, the only former chair of the organization to become President of the United States.”

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