As the political game intensifies, more and more intrigues and strategizing are happening daily, the latest of which is President Goodluck Jonathan’s Sunday night meeting with some selected governors at the Presidential Villa, where he appealed to them not to vote for Mr. Rotimi Amaechi as the next Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).
We would remember that for the last week Goodwill Akpabio, ahead of meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum, PDPGF has begun extensive consultations to ensure an impressive attendance.
Mr. Akpabio is reportedly holding the consultations due to speculations that some of the governors elected on the platform of the party are still not comfortable with the setting up of the forum; while some others are said to be loyal to the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, Chibuike Amaechi.
Akpabio had tried unsuccessfully to persuade a majority of the governors to vote out his fellow South-South governor in place of a Northerner (Gov. Ibrahim Shema ). Most of the governors from the North believe that his action is not out of love for them but to firm up the machinery for Jonathan’s 2015 ambition.
This is said to have become necessary when Jonathan’s foot soldier, Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, was unable to convince fellow PDP governors to vote for Gov. Ibrahim Shema for the post.
News has it that Mr. Akpabio and his Bauchi State counterpart, Isa Yuguda, late last week, met with the National Chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur, whom they assured of the Forum’s support.
The meeting was called for among other things allegedly to whittle down the influence of Mr. Amaechi whose leadership of NGF is not comfortable with the presidency and in his place elect Gov. Ibrahim Shema who seems to hold the Presidents comfidence.
Mr. Amaechi has stated that the presidency is not comfortable with his leadership and wants him
The election for the office of the NGF chairman comes up in May, and the incumbent, who is not popular in the President’s camp but is loved by his colleagues, is running.
At the Villa’s night meeting, in addition to Akpabio, were 14 other governors, sources at the meeting said Jonathan begged the governors to rally round Shema and make sure he defeats Amaechi.
The presidents said “You can do it. Tell your colleagues, especially those from our party that Shema is our sole candidate”. At the end of the president’s speech, none of the governors gave the President any word of commitment even when asked them to speak by Akpabio.
“We have heard Mr. President. There is nothing to say, but we must make sure that the Forum is not seen as an extension of the PDP,” one of the governors was said to have told Mr. Jonathan.