terms with the reality of
the defeat of their
candidate by Governor
Rotimi Amaechi,
aggrieved governors
yesterday distanced
themselves from his
victory, claiming that he
ceased to be their leader
on Friday when his tenure
ended.
The splinter NGF, led by
Governor Godswill Akpabio
of Akwa Ibom and chairman
of the PDP Governors'
Forum, presented Governor
Jonah Jang as the new
Chairman of the NGF.
They also announced plans
to set up a different
secretariat for their
meetings so as to
disconnect from the Rivers
State Governor's Lodge,
which had been serving as
their meeting point in the
past two years.
Eighteen governors, who
are sympathetic to
President Jonathan and his
anointed candidate, Jang,
converged on the Benue
State Governor's Lodge in
Asokoro and tried to
discredit the electoral
process that threw up
Amaechi.
The governors who are
opposed to Amaechi's
victory are: Godswill
Akpabio of Akwa Ibom,
Jonah Jang of Plateau, Idris
Wada of Kogi, Gabriel
Suswam of Benue, Sullevan
Chime of Enugu, Martin
Elechi of Ebonyi, Theodore
Orji of Abia, Peter Obi of
Anambra and Isa Yuguda of
Bauchi.
others are: Olusegun
Mimiko of Ondo, Ibrahim
Shema of Katsina, Mukhtar
Yero of Kaduna, Garba
Umar of Taraba, Ahmed
Abdulfatah of Kwara,
Emmanuel Uduaghan of
Delta State, Liyel Imoke of
Cross River, Seriake Dickson
of Bayelsa and Gombe
Deputy Governor, Thaanod
Rubainu.
The governors, who met
behind closed doors for
about two hours, later
issued a communique,
saying that they stood by
the endorsement of 19
governors, who had earlier
pledged their support for
the candidature of the
consensus candidate to be
chosen by them and not
Amaechi.
Governor Mimiko, who
described himself as the
Vice Chairman of the Jang-
led NGF, read the six-
paragraph communique
issued and jointly endorsed
by the faction.
"The Nigeria Governors'
Forum, under the new
leadership of Governor
Jonah Jang, as Chairman
and Governor Olusegun
Mimiko as the Vice
Chairman, at the inaugural
meeting held today,
Saturday, May 25, 2013,
resolved as follows:
"The new chairman of the
NGF thanks Northern
Governors' Forum, the PDP
Governors' Forum and all
the governors for the
support and confidence
reposed in him and vowed
to work for the interest of
the forum and country.
"The chairman of the NGF
Governor Jonah Jang vows
to unite members of the
forum, work for the interest
of the forum and the
country.
"The forum re-states its
commitment to continue
being a platform for peer
review, productive and
collaborative engagement
with all levels of
government.
"The forum also resolves to
continue to encourage and
collaborate with Mr.
President to restore peace
and security in the country.
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