Nigeria Content Online

Last minute
intrigues and horse-trading are trailing tonight’s meeting of the
Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) which is expected to lead to a change in
the leadership of the organisation.

Some of the
governors, who announced the choice of Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State as
the new chairman of the forum and those opposed to his emergence have
arrived the federal capital and have been engaged in series of meetings
ahead of tonight’s general meeting.

It was learnt last
night that the two groups are still holding on to their positions on Mr
Daniel’s reported emergence, despite the overtures being made by their
colleagues to back down on it. The NGF erupted in crisis last weekend
when Mr Daniel was announced as the replacement for Bukola Saraki, who
has since joined the presidential race. Benue State Governor, Gabriel
Suswan announced the election of his Ogun State counterpart.

But the director
general of the NGF Secretariat, Assisana B. Okauru, said the
announcement, made on the NTA 9pm network news, had “created some
confusion in the public on the distinction between the PDP Governors’
Forum and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.”

He also said that a meeting of the forum had been scheduled in Abuja to pick a new chairman for the body.

Some of the
governors, including Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Ibrahim Shekarau of
Kano State and Babangida Aliyu, who chairs the Northern Governors Forum,
have also dissociated themselves from the purported election of Mr
Daniel.

It was gathered that
the governors who installed Mr Daniel last weekend are mostly those
supporting the ambition of Goodluck Jonathan to contest the presidency
while a few of them opposed to the president are insisting that the Ogun
State governor should not be accepted.

Besides, some of the
governors are also demanding that a proper election should take place
to pick the new chairman. This, they say, does not necessarily mean that
they are opposed to the emergence of the Ogun State governor. But that
they want things done right.

Ironing out disagreement

Mr Okauru confirmed
to NEXT in a telephone interview that an election will be conducted
during the forum’s meeting tonight. “Nothing has changed,” he said. “The
governors will meet to elect a chairman and I do hope you will be there
at the Kwara State Governors Lodge. It is holding 8pm. Yes, there is
disagreement and that it why a meeting is being convened.” Lagos State
Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola yesterday flawed the announced election
of Mr Daniel as the new Chairman of NGF.

While speaking with
journalists at the 2010 Kuramo Conference on Law and Development in
Lagos, he said that “the process was undemocratic and indeed subversive
of the will of other governors, who are the members of the forum.” Mr
Fashola said that the decision of those behind the handpicking of the
Ogun state governor as the new chairman of the forum called for internal
vigilance as the country goes to poll next year.

“It is not a crisis per se, but it is really bothersome,” he said.
“It bothers me that this kind of thing can happen in a party that
professes to have a free and fair election.”