""""""FLASH BACK""""READ"" Despite PDP’s ‘noise’, Amaechi will win re-election as Governors’ Forum Chairman- ....................................... - 70 days ago .The two men were in Ekiti State together. The Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, gave an insight into the political machinations going on among the 36 state governors, when he declared on Saturday that the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, will be re-elected as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF. Mr. Fayemi said this in Ikogosi-Ekiti on Saturday at a symposium organised The Future Awards with the theme “Project 2015: the character of our involvement.” Mr. Amaechi has become unpopular with the presidency and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party over his stance on major national issues. The Rivers State Governor’s influence was said to have troubled the presidency into forming the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors Forum, with a more malleable governor, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, as chairman. The first meeting of the PDP Governors Forum wa s, however, boycotted by some of the party’s governors including Mr. Amaechi; with some sending their deputies, and others abstaining completely. Why they don’t want me Mr. Amaechi, who was at the Ekiti program along with Mr. Fayemi, gave an insight into why the presidency is uncomfortable with him. He said the problem comes from his public stance against the corruption in the petrol subsidy payments and the use of money meant for all tiers of government to pay for subsidy. “Governors are not opposed to fuel subsidy, governors are just frustrated about the corruption in it,” he said. “They balloon the figures.” “It is one reason they (the presidency) don’t want me as governor’s chairman,” the Rivers Governor told the audience largely made up of youth from across Nigeria. He’ll remain in office PREMIUM TIMES had reported on plans to remove Mr. Amaechi as NGF chairman before the last meeting held earlier in the year. At the end of the meeting, the governors, after intense power play, agreed to retain Mr . Amaechi as chairman, until his tenure ends in May. The Rivers Governor is, however, eligible for a second term as governor; and his Ekiti counterpart, a member of the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria, said he will be re-elected. “Forget the noise you are hearing out there, when election (for Governors’ Forum Chairman) comes, you will see,” Mr. Fayemi said assuring that Mr. Amaechi will be re-elected.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:40:20 +0000