If words emanating from pro-President Goodluck Jonathan’s camp are anything to go by, the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) election scheduled for Friday may not hold after all.
On Thursday night, Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi who is believed to be enjoying the President’s support picked nomination form to slug it out with the incumbent, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and his Katsina state counterpart, Ibrahim Shema.
However, it was gathered that pro-Jonathan governors are insisting on no-election, thereby canvassing for consensus approach to electing the next chairman of the Forum.
Interestingly, pro-Amaechi governors who are mostly from the opposition parties are also insisting that the forum’s constitution which favours conduct of election must be respected.
One of the governors who are opposed to teleguiding from any quarters spoke on the issue. He however pleaded anonymity, saying he could be marked by the Presidency.
His words, “I worry because I don’t know who is afraid of an election? And I am particularly worried that the president is now compelling and intimidating the feeble-minded amongst us to sign a resolution as against an election.
“Unfortunately, we are all not PDP governors and even some PDP governors are displeased with this drama of shame. We will not adopt any resolution except an election. That is what the constitution of the party says and that is just what we will do.
“Yes, the tenure of Governor Amaechi is due and another election to re-elect him or any other governor at that must hold. That is the only recipe for peace. Now I cannot talk to you on record because they will mark me. But that is the position and we will accept nothing less”.
It also emerged that the idea of split in the President’s camp is a strategy being used to create the impression that the camp is in disarray whereas, it is working underneath to get enough endorsement that could stand the election down in favour of consensus.
“There is nothing in the president’s camp to suggest that they are in disarray; it was a strategy perfected by their fixers to give a false impression.
“But the Amaechi group is not oblivious of this and is also working on a counter-strategy that would contain whatever threat the other camp may pose.
“Whether or not they are perfecting strategy by creating camps within camps, what everyone is asking is that the election must hold and it will hold.
“Harassing and intimidating people to sign a resolution they are not inclined to will only worsen the already tensed situation and that is why they must follow the constitution of the forum,” a source told Prompt News.
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