Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State has said that he would not leave the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) nor nurse any misgiving against any of his colleagues over their roles in the last Nigeria Governors’ Forum election, which he contested against Rivers State governor, Chief Rotimi Amaechi.
Although Amaechi won the election with 19 votes to Jang’s 16, the governor said yesterday that he did not feel betrayed by governors from the north over the outcome of the election.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend, the governor through his special adviser on politics Mr Alexander Molwus, disclosed that it was Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State that nominated him for the NGF contest.
Asked whether Governor Jang is still a member of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Molwus replied: “Certainly, you know the Northern States Governors’ Forum is an integral part of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum; the Northern Governors’ Forum has been there for long — since the states were created, we have had northern governors’ meeting. We have so many things that bind us together. What happened was that when this issue of NGF chairman came up, as you are all aware, Governor Jang was not part of the decision to aspire for the leadership of the NGF.
“In fact, if there was anything, he was the stabilising factor, trying to bring the various groups together, that is, the contest between Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State and Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katshina State. When the governors met and resolved that there was need to get them off and that the decision was spearheaded by the governor of Kano State, who also in the course of trying to resolve the issue, nominated Governor Jang to replace these two governors who were aspiring, it looked very honourable. We didn’t know that the man had some toxics in his nomination, that his plan was to make sure that Governor Jang failed. It’s very absurd, it’s very disappointing that we have leaders that can deliberately plan for his colleague to be disgraced.”
Molwus continued: “When the issue came up, both governors Yuguda and Suswam felt betrayed — that those that they had discussed certain things with were actually not supporting Governor Jang. The governor of Niger State was supposed to carry the resolution of northern governors to the NGF: that this is the candidate they have all agreed on. The forum never had any election or any precedence of election; it had been done by nomination since inception, two for the south and same for the north. So on the basis of that, the issue went, only for Yuguda to discover that those who plotted to disgrace Governor Jang happened to be governors from the northern states. And that was the anger that he had: that since they cannot trust one another, he cannot be part of the Northern Governors’ Forum. His anger is with his other colleagues that could not be trusted as leaders in Nigeria.
“After a while, if he (Yuguda) decides to go to the Northern Governors’ Forum, there is no problem about that; it is in the interest of Bauchi State for him to attend the forum’s meetings and so also Benue State and Plateau, because we have some assets that bind us together. By Yuguda’s return, I don’t think Governor Jang will feel betrayed by any of those who stood by him.’’
Source: Leadership
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