Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state on Friday defeated his Plateau counterpart, Jona Jang to retain his seat as the chairman of the highly influential Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).
He polled 19 votes as against 16 garnered by jang. The duo of governors Ibrahim Shema of Katsina and Isa Yuguda of Bauchi who also picked nomination forms for the chairmanship withdrew for governor Jang at the eleventh hour.
The Plateau governor is believed to be favoured by the Presidency. It is no longer news that the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership fought frantically to coerce the PDP governors into ensuring that governor Amaechi was not re-elected.
The result was announced by the Director General and Returning Officer of NGF, Aishana Okauru.
He said Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara emerged unopposed as the Vice Chairman after Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko stepped down.
“The Governors of the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the 6th meeting of the year held today, Friday 24th May 2013 at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, for the purpose of conducting elections to fill the positions of leadership elected the following officers for the next two years;”
“Chairman: Rotimi Amaechi, Governor of Rivers State. Vice Chairman: Abdulaziz Yari, Governor of Zamfara State,” he announced.
The arrowheads of the Presidency, Governors of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa State and Benue state; Godswil Akpabio, Seraike Dickson and Gabriel Suswam respectively left before the result was formally made public.
Only Yobe state governor was absent while Kebbi was represented by the Deputy Governor.
“There is no victor, no vanquish. I thank all those that voted for me and those that did not vote for me. What is important is that democracy has prevailed,” Governor Amaechi told reporters.
