Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi has shifted the meeting of the forum earlier scheduled to hold today out of respect for the Office of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The NGF had scheduled a meeting for 8pm tonight but then postponed it after it was discovered a presidential dinner with governors would hold at the same time.
Huhuonline.com investigations reveal that NGF governors loyal to Amaechi feel that if the 19 of them proceed with the meeting, they would be undermining the Office of the President.
“We are not at war with Jonathan,” a source said. “We want to prove to him that the NGF battle is not personal; it is about the sanctity of the ballot and democracy.”
The postponement of the meeting is also expected to prove that pro-Amaechi governors have nothing against the president.
“We will be attending Mr. President’s dinner invitation as a mark of our respect for his person and office,” Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Ibim Semenitari quoted the NGF chairman as saying in a press release.
“The NGF meeting had been previously scheduled to hold at 8pm but with the invitation to dinner with the president, the governors decided to reschedule. Fifteen governors, led by the chairman of the forum, Governor Amaechi left for the villa. Deputy Governors of Kwara and Oyo States, both of who represented their governors, joined the team led by Amaechi on their way to the Villa.”
At Thursday’s National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, it was discovered that sitting positions had been altered such that Amaechi and Jang would seat together, as the governors sat in the alphabetic order of the name of their states.
At past NEC meetings, though, Amaechi always sat next to Chairman of the NEC meeting and Vice-President Namadi Sambo. The new sitting arrangements generated different comments from different governors.
“So we are sitting together, authentic and the fake chairman,” Amaechi, who arrived ahead of Jang, exclaimed, before shaking hands with the Plateau governor when he later arrived.
“This is my chairman,” Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole said when he arrived, pointing to Amaechi. “This is PDP faction chairman,” he added, pointing to Jang.
“This is nice o,” Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu said on arrival. “Somebody is trying to be diplomatic here.”
