Two Peoples Democratic Party governors nearly came to blows Sunday at a
meeting in Abuja called to form a separate platform for PDP governors,
Daily Trust learnt from a reliable source yesterday
The source said
the formation of the forum was encouraged by President Godluck Jonathan
as a counterpoise to the Governors Forum whose chairman Rotimi Amaechi
of Rivers state is rumoured to nurse an ambition to run in 2015 as vice
president to Sule Lamido of Jigawa state.
According to the
source, as soon as the meeting began Babangida Aliyu of Niger state, an
Amaechi partisan, criticised the need for a PDP governors forum. He
argued that the governors forum engenders unity adding that the ruling
party is already dominant in the forum.
However, Governor
Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, said to be a Jonathan supporter for 2015,
rose to his feet and challenged Aliyu for opposing the creation of the
forum. He said the decision was taken to set up the forum at a meeting
the previous day where Aliyu was absent, and that he could not therefore
oppose it now.
Their exchanges degenerated into harsh words for
each other and they began to inch forward angrily. At this stage some
governors moved forward quickly and came between them, as they continued
to hurl unpleasant words over the heads of those that separated them.
Finally,
the source said, they were persuaded back to their seats as a few
governors moved back and forth to broker peace. At last they succeeded
and they were encouraged to embrace themselves. They did and the meeting
continued.
The source said no election was held when the meeting
ended but PDP Chairman Bamanga Tukur announced to reporters that
Akpabio had been elected chairman.
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