Northern governors under the auspice of the Northern State Governors Forum (NSGF) have identified Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi as the duly elected Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
Speaking after a meeting of the group in Kaduna State on Thursday, Governor of Nassarawa State, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura stated that the northern governors stand by the result of the election, which Amaechi won by 19 votes to Jonah Jang’s 16.
Also speaking, Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State, Mr Babangida Aliyu revealed that the forum would find a way to reconcile its members, 15 of whom were absent at Thursday’s meeting.
Only five northern state governors attended the meeting; seven other governors were represented while others neither attended nor sent representatives. Those in attendance were Chairman Babangia Aliyu of Niger, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Dankwambo of Gombe State and Al-makura of Nasarawa. Katsina, Yobe and Bauchi shunned the meeting without offering apologies, while Governors of Adamawa and Taraba States, who were also absent, apologised.
Aliyu also disclosed that the NSGF would make peace with Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, who has exempted himself from attending meetings of the body.
Aside promising to raise a committee on the recent killing of security operatives in Alakio Community in Nasarawa state, the northern governors also expressed their readiness to begin to implement the recommendations of the Committee on Reconciliation, Healing and Security.
