What Niger gov told anti-Amaechi colleagues at PDP governors’ meeting
The crisis in the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) appears to be getting messier by the day as governors under the umbrella of the party have drawn the battle line along those for and those against President Goodluck Jonathan.
Informed sources disclosed to Daily Sun in Minna, Niger State, that the recent meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum in Abuja almost snowballed into a free-for-all when tempers rose along pro and anti-Jonathan divides among the governors.
At a point, the Governor of Niger State and Chairman, Northern Governors’ Forum, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu reportedly told his anti-Amaechi collesgues that the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi would be returned as the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
According to him, not even the presidential influence could sway the position of the majority of the governors. “Let me tell you, 10 of you, even 20 of you and Jonathan cannot remove Amaechi.
Go and tell him,” Aliyu was reported to have said. Peace, however, prevailed when the elderly among the governors intervened. Back home, Aliyu clarified that the Nigeria Governors Forum was not a labour union formed to agitate for issues with the Federal Government or any other body.
Aliyu said in Minna Niger State yesterday when he received secretaries of the PDP in the Northern part of the country that the NGF was an association registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission to serve as platform for the exchange of ideas between members of the group.
The governor explained that the association carried out peer reviews during which the failure of one governor was used to correct the similar mistakes that other governors could have made. “We don’t discuss who will be what at any time, our focus is to ensure that our states develop to the satisfaction of people, Aliyu declared.
Instead of working for the destruction of the forum, Governor Aliyu advised that Nigerians should support the forum to put it in position of serving the people better. He assured that despite the crisis facing the forum presently, the organisation would ‘come out of it better and stronger, insisting that all the bodies formed as a result of the friction ‘would be subservient to the governors forum in the long run.
“One assurance I can give you is that nobody, however highly placed, can gag or intimidate us. That is the truth,” Aliyu said. On the merger of some opposition political parties in the country, Governor Aliyu said the PDP should not be afraid of the merger, but work for its success so that it would make the party to be stronger and more serious.
“We must not be frightened with the merger, it is a way to strengthen our party PDP should encourage the move” Commenting on the crisis in Baga town in Borno State, Governor Aliyu threw his weight behind the plan to investigate the matter by both the Federal and Borno State governments but said the investigative panels should be ‘fair, honest and sincere’ in the discharge of its assignment. Aliyu said that Nigerians should stop commenting on the issue and allow those charged with the responsibility to do their job to avoid unnecessary distraction.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Northern States PDP Secretaries Forum said the organization was formed to serve as a platform for exchange of ideas and to move the party forward in the area, adding that their visit to Governor Aliyu was to appreciate what he has done to the PDP to make it the most acceptable party in the country.
Culled from The Sun Newspaper
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