25th February, 2013
Less than 24 hours after he emerged as the Chairman of People Democratic Governors Forum, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State is to lead the battle being orchestrated by the Presidency to remove Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF.
The election is slated for Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Monday.
Akpabio was elected as the Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum during a meeting held in Aso Rock Presidential Villa which lasted several hours on Sunday night.
The meeting was attended by governors elected on the platform of PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan.
The formation of the PDP Governors’ Forum, many believe, was a ploy to whittle down the influence of the NGF.
Also, the choice of Akpabio, a supporter of President Goodluck Jonathan, it was gathered, was to ensure a permanent end to the activities of NGF that the Presidency has been uncomfortable with in recent times.
P.M.NEWS gathered that the Akwa Ibom State Governor, will be expected to rally his PDP colleagues who are in clear majority in NGF against decisions perceived as antagonistic to President Jonathan.
Rotimi Amaechi, the Rivers State Governor, has been having a running battle with supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan over accusation that he is using the NGF Forum to warm his way into the hearts of Nigerians ahead of 2015 presidential elections.
Though Amaechi has not been definitive on whether he will contest the presidency in the next general elections, there have been rumours that he is considering running alongside Governor Sule Lamido of Adamawa State.
The Presidency, it was gathered, has also not been comfortable with the way the Rivers State Governor has taken up the battle against the continuing maintenace of excess crude account, how the sovereign wealth fund account is operated and unaccounted for deductions of trillions for the payment of petroleum subsidy since he became the chairman of NGF. This is coming despite the fact that the Rivers State Governor has always defended himself, asserting that his actions are as directed by his colleagues.
Akpabio is, therefore, expected to use his new position to rally all the PDP Governors against the re-election of Amaechi as the 36 Governors gather in Abuja for the election of the NGF chairman.
Similar attempts to remove Amaechi last Wednesday championed by three governors, including Akpabio failed as they were opposed by their colleagues.
P.M.NEWS gathered that it may also be a tough job getting others to support the move to sack Amaechi today as the majority of the governors seem to be in support of his stay in office.
Some of the governors are particularly said to be against the change of leadership of the forum as it is being engineered from outside.
Apart from governors elected on the platform of opposition parties, PDP Governors such as Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto, Usman Dakingari of Kebbi, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Musa Kwankwanso of Kano and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State are all said to be in favour of returning Amaechi as the chairman of NGF.
Others said to be in support of Amaechi include the governors of Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe.
It was, however, gathered that Jonathan supporters are considering the option of sponsoring Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State to contest against Amaechi to break the ranks of governors supporting the Rivers State governor.
Other governors that are said to be against Amaechi’s re-election include Alhaji Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State and Alhaji Ramalan Yero of Kaduna.
—Oluokun Ayorinde/Abuja