OCTOBER 30, 2013
Chairman, Northern Governors’ Forum, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu
Chairman Northern States Governors Forum, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, has said the outcome of discussions between aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party governors and President Goodluck Jonathan; hold the key to the group’s next move.
Aliyu, who is also the Governor of Niger State, said this while hosting leaders of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, in his office in Minna, on Tuesday.
The governor also used the occasion to debunk media reports (not The PUNCH) that he had pulled out of the group of seven aggrieved PDP governors.
He described the media report as the handiwork of his detractors who would stop at nothing to break the ranks of the rebel governors.
He said the report which claimed that he had withdrawn from the group because he did not attend the last meeting was an act of mischief.
Aliyu said, “This is not the time for anyone to pull out of the party when out of respect for the office of the President, and the President himself, we are discussing.
“There is no way you can wake up and say you are pulling out when you are already negotiating. You cannot pull out at this moment. The time for decision to be taken will be when we have concluded discussion with the President.”
He explained that he was shocked to read in the papers that he had pulled out of the group in which he remains a leading figure.
The NSGF Chairman said in spite of the news report, “The truth of the matter is that Babangida Aliyu is still a member and in fact, I am the leader of G7.”
He added, “I regard that write-up as an enemy action. It was planted by people who are interested in breaking our ranks and who try to input motives where there are none.
“I see the hands of some people I can identify to have sponsored this article. I urge people not to make policies relating to all they read in the papers as some of these articles are sponsored.”
Aliyu explained that his absence from the last meeting of the group held in Abuja last Sunday was due to the change in time and ill health adding that he informed his colleagues accordingly.
“So, I sent an apology because there was no way I could meet up with them since I was still in Minna by 2pm. I spoke to three of my colleagues and asked them to help me tender my apologies especially as I was not feeling too well but I had intended to travel.”
Aliyu further explained that he had attended several similar meetings when some of his colleagues were indisposed but no such story was concocted against them.
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