In a bid to resolve the rift among governors over the outcome of the last election, the new chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang has commenced moves to reconcile the governors.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja in company of Cross River, Ondo and Anambra state governors, Jang declared that he has reached some of the governors on phone and told them of the need for them to meet to iron out their differences in the interest of the country.
“A number of them have agreed that there is a need for us to meet. We are talking and we shall continue to talk,” he said.
He, however, frowned at the insistence of the Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi to stay put as the chairman of the Governors’ Forum and explained that none of Amechi’s predecessors succeeded himself for second term.
He explained that there was never anywhere in the yet-to-be ratified NGF Constitution that said that a chairman could be re-elected, adding that it was only Amaechi, who knows where he got that portion of the constitution, that says a sitting chairman could be re-elected.
According to the NGF chairman, there was never anytime governors met to ratify the constitution, adding that the only time governors met on that alleged constitution was when Namadi Sambo was still the governor of Kaduna State and the constitution was never ratified to accommodate a sitting chairman re-contesting, contrary to what Amaechi was propagating.
“Amaechi virtually became a dictator, dictating everything. He brought in a constitution that many of us have never seen or aware of. The only time we look into the constitution was when Namadi Sambo was still there and there was nowhere that says a sitting chairman could be re-elected. The constitution was never ratified,” he said.
The Plateau State governor described the video coverage of the election as morally corrupt, saying, “We have never called journalists to video our proceedings. If it is Amaechi that planted the camera, it is morally corrupt.
Also speaking, the Cross River State governor, Liyel Imoke said that since 1999, NGF elections have always been by consensus in the 14 years of its existence, adding that the reason was to avoid any acrimony that would otherwise emanate after election.
“It is a consensus between the North and South that it will be one term. For the 14 years of the existence of the NGF, there has never been an election. The reason why we agreed on consensus is that because it will be divisive,” he said.