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