NGF chairmanship: PDP govs to adopt consensus candidate

March 11, 2013

RIVERS State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi

As Peoples Democratic Party governors meet in Abuja on Monday (today), there are indications that the issue of who leads the Nigeria Governors’ Forum will top their agenda.

The meeting is coming ahead of the NGF’s election scheduled for May.

A source privy to the party leadership said the governors would likely adopt a consensus candidate for the NGF’s election.

The governors, who are meeting under the auspices of the new PDP Governors’ Forum, our correspondent gathered, would also examine the presentation of the Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State Reconciliation Committee on South-West, as well as the PDPGF’s structure and funding.

The Presidency allegedly had failed twice to use some governors to remove the Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as the Chairman of the NGF

This had resulted in the formation of the PDPGF, which Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State is leading.

Both the PDP and the Presidency had mounted intense pressure on Amaechi to rescind his decision to run for a second term in office.

A member of the party’s National Working Committee told our correspondent, “As a party, we have made enough attempts to bring all on board; but when you have many people in a party like the PDP, there are bound to be many ideas and characters.

“To be candid, since the crisis in the NGF, started, several efforts have been made to bring the Rivers State governor on board but you know when a man is recalcitrant, you retreat to explore other means of also preserving yourself; that is just it in politics.”

Meanwhile, a PDP stalwart, who spoke with reporters in Abuja on Sunday, said Nigerians would soon know that Amaechi was not a clean man.

He said, “A plot by powerful forces, in Abuja, in collaboration with the Presidency have hatched a plot to discredit, malign and completely destroy the reputation of Amaechi in preparation and laying the foundation for security and anti-corruption agencies to move into action in Rivers State and arrest the state officials.

“The plot would first involve the circulation in the social media and several dubious websites and blogs of doctored documents of alleged financial infractions and ‘monumental’ corruption by Rivers State Government Officials and Amaechi.”

This, he said, would be followed by sponsored, paid articles and advertorials in the social media, national media, newspapers and magazines, loudly alleging corruption and corrupt activities by Amaechi and Rivers State Government officials and calling for their prosecution by security agencies and anti-corruption bodies.

According to him, as part of the plot, security agencies and anti-corruption agencies will then move into state to arrest government officials.

The action of the Federal Government was because of the refusal of the governors to abandon Amaechi in his battle to re-contest for the chairmanship of the NGF.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has asked Nigerians to support President Goodluck Jonathan if he wants to run for a second term in 2015.

The governor spoke in Abuja on Sunday when he visited the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark.

He said, “As a loyal party member and a PDP governor, Delta State and I will support the South-South to produce the President in 2015.

“I thank the whole of Nigerians for supporting President Goodluck Jonathan so far and for making him the President.

“We are banking on the support of Nigerians to allow the South-South complete its eight year tenure come 2015.”