FG GROUNDS, RELEASES AMAECHI’S PLANE

• Rivers
Governor, Shema To Contest NGF Chairmanship

THE simmering rift between the Presidency and Chairman of the
Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi,
does not appear to thaw anytime soon, as aviation agencies Friday prevented the
aircraft of the governor from leaving Akure Airport in Ondo State shortly after
the governor and his aides returned from the burial of late deputy governor of
Ekiti State, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Olayinka, in Ado-Ekiti.

Amaechi was said to have joined Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, in his aircraft out of the airport.

Though no official at the aviation agency offices in Lagos and
Akure was available for comments on the matter, it was gathered that the plane
was later released and allowed to fly out of Akure.

Many see the action as part of the continuing effort of the
Presidency’s to see Amaechi off as NGF Chairman in the next meeting scheduled
for next month.

This time around, the Presidency is alleged to have given marching
orders to its foot-soldiers, among the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
governors, to do whatever it would take to stall and stop the NGF election from
holding until it is able to get enough governors on its side to support its
candidate and stop the re-election of Amaechi as NGF Chairman.

There have been speculations that the Presidency is backing the
candidature of Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema for NGF chairman.

But the Presidency does not appear to have the support of most of
the governors, majority of who want Amaechi to return for a second term.

To actualize this dream, the Presidency is said to have mobilised
its staunch allies among the governors such as Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom),
Gabriel Suswam (Benue) and Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) to drum up support for the
Presidency’s candidate.

Their mandate, The Guardian learnt, is to ensure that the NGF
election billed to hold sometime in May does not hold until the Presidency can
muster enough governors to drop their support for Amaechi and back its
candidate for NGF chairmanship in the person of Katsina’s Ibrahim Shema.

Meanwhile, the Presidency’s spirited efforts to make the PDP
Governors Forum adopt Governor Shema as the consensus candidate of the PDP
governors for the NGF chairmanship election did not yield much dividend as the
governors reportedly opposed the move.

Minutes from the PDP governors Forum meeting held at the Akwa Ibom
Governor’s lodge in Abuja showed that the governors opposed the consensus
candidate option, as opinion was generally divided on the issue of choosing a
consensus candidate for the chairmanship position of the NGF.

It was gathered that after an exhaustive consultation and
deliberation, members could not agree on a consensus candidate.

The governors then agreed that Amaechi and Shema be presented as
candidates for the NGF chairmanship position.

With this new development, both governors are likely to slug it
out in May for the position, barring any last minutes decisions.

However, most of the governors in the country, especially those in
the opposition, save a few, appear opposed to the Presidency’s interference in
who heads the Forum.

As a result, many of them have vowed to vehemently resist any
attempt by the Presidency to foist anyone on them as chairman; hence a handful
of them seem to be disposed to Amaechi’s second term bid.

Recently, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi expressed optimism
that Amaechi would retain the position, just as most PDP governors in the north
are distancing themselves from Shema’s candidature, which they feel is not
borne out of love for the region.

Most of them have been vocal against the formation of the PDP
Governors’ Forum, which they consider duplication, since the party constitutes
almost two-thirds of the NGF membership.

Source: Guardian