Amaechi, told his Plateau State colleague to stop impersonating him as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, and urged him to keep within the bounds of decorum.
Jang in a riposte dismissed Amaechi’s charge as funny. Jang reiterated his claim that his endorsement by 19 Northern governors was tantamount to an election, boasting that he was set to show his superior claim at a meeting of the forum he has summoned for today.

The exchange followed Governor Jang’s summon of a meeting of the NGF for today ahead of a scheduled meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan over disputes on the sharing of the federation account for the month of May.

Governor Amaechi while urging governors to honour the meeting with the president, however, disowned the meeting of the NGF summoned by Jang.

Governors stick to their earlier positions

Yesterday, several governors stood on their previous positions in the NGF. Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, NSGF, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, it was learnt, was outside the country and may not send a representative to the Jang meeting. His colleague in Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Suswam who is also outside the country on official assignment, could send a representative to attend the Jang meeting.

“Any meeting called by Governor Jang as chairman of the NGF would be honoured by Governor Suswam,” an aide said. Several other governors, it was learnt, yesterday, stuck to their known positions on the division in the NGF.

Governor Amaechi in a statement yesterday said: “On Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16, reports in the media credited to my brother governor, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State announced that he has called for a Nigeria Governors’ Forum meeting. Ordinarily I would have ignored these reports as I do not imagine that as governors who hold our people’s mandate through the democratic process of free and fair elections, we would do anything to impugn our integrity.

“However as Chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, elected by my colleagues to safeguard their integrity and that of the forum, it has become imperative for me to request my brother, Governor Jang, to remain within the confines of decorum and cease to impersonate me and to stop parading himself as NGF chairman. There is only one chairman of the forum, duly elected by a vote tally of 19:16 on Friday, May 24, 2013.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I as chairman of the NGF have not called for any Governors’ Forum meeting for Monday, June 17, 2013. The only meeting scheduled for Monday June 17, is a meeting of all Governors with His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan scheduled to hold at 9pm at Aso Rock Villa. All governors should please ensure attendance at this meeting with Mr. President.

This storm shall pass — Amaechi
“I wish to reassure my brother governors that this storm shall pass and we all will be reunited as one family committed to our nation’s unity and supporting Mr. President in his vision for a Nigeria that safeguards the rights of all its citizens to good governance and democratic norms.

“Governor Jang is my brother and friend and I harbour no ill feelings against him, but it is important that he stops this impersonation, as it could threaten all the good work we all have done together.

“May I remind Governor Jang that there is a legal action that has been instituted against him by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State to stop him from parading himself as the chairman of NGF. As leaders elected by our people, Nigerians are closely watching us. We must comport ourselves according to the dictates and principles of democratic and lawful practices and norms.”

We’ll see today — Jang

Responding to Amaechi, Jang through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ayuba Pam described Amaechi’s assertion as funny.

Asserting that he was elected by the majority of governors and was in no way impersonating anybody, Jang said:

“It is funny to say that a man who was nominated by consensus by the Northern governors who are 19 and presented to the larger meeting of the governors would impersonate anybody. It is all about who is in charge of the forum and tomorrow’s (today’s) meeting convened by Jang will show who really has the support of majority of the governors.

“We do not want to join issues with Governor Amaechi because he is still a member of the governors’ family and just like Governor Jang has said repeatedly, this is a family problem that would be resolved amicably.

“All we can do is to appeal to Governor Amaechi to extend the same cooperation that Jang gave him when he was the chairman of the forum to Jang. Jang was always among the first governors to be in Abuja each time he (Amaechi) called a meeting and we urge him to reciprocate this. We even encourage him to attend tomorrow’s meeting convened by Jang because the agenda is for the benefit of every state”, he said.

The committee, which was set up by the President following the protracted crisis rocking the party, has six governors as members and ill begin sitting today.

The governors are Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Theodore Orji (Abia) and Isa Yuguda(Bauchi).

Also on the committee are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Pius Anyim; Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe.

Our correspondents learnt that Amaechi and Wamakko might refuse to honour an invitation from the panel over fears that its composition would not guarantee fairness.

This is hinged on the fact that the six governors are also members of a breakaway faction of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum headed by Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang.

The faction arose after the election of Amaechi on May 24 was rejected by some PDP governors, who decided to pitch tent with Jang.

There are also fears that the panel may ask Amaechi to drop his leadership pf the NGF in return for his recall to the party.

Amaechi was suspended from the party some days later for failing to heed its advice not to seek a second term.

Wamakko was suspended last week for failing to heed the party’s invitation to answer charges of alleged anti-party activities.

However, it is believed that his suspension was in reaction to his support for Amaechi.

The presidential panel is expected to review the suspension of both governors and mak recommendations on ways of resolving the crisis.

Amaechi’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. David Iyofor, initially promised to call our correspondent back. But subsequent attempts to reach him failed as he did not pick calls to his phone.

But the Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, said Amaechi would not honour any invitation from the panel since a court had restrained parties to his suspension from taking any further step on the matter.

“What I can say is that the matter is subjudice because the court has said that parties in the case (suspension of Amaechi) should not take any action that will affect the matter.

“But the fact remains that the Rivers State governor is amenable to peace and the sustenance of peace.

“Parties are not expected to discuss anything pertaining to the suspension until the determination of the suit,” Lloyd said.

When contacted, Wamakko’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Sani Umar, said the governor would wait and see how the panel conducts its assignment before deciding on the next step.

He also said insinuations that Wamakko’s alleged refusal to acknowledge Akpabio’s leadership of the PDP Governors’ Forum was one of the reasons for the governor’s suspension.

Sani said, “When did he say he would not submit to the leadership of Akpabio and where? It’s a lie and if he did he’ll not deny it. We wait and see how the committee will go about its assignment.”

Both Madera Road and a stretch of Aguiyi Ironsi Road were blocked and manned by armed and fierce-looking soldiers and policemen due to the wedding of Njideka, the second daughter of former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the elitist Maitama District of the Federal Capital Territory.

Njideka’s mother, Mary is a Justice of the Nigerian apex court while Justice Chioma Iheme-Nwosu, the mother of her beau, Uzoma Iheme Nwosu, is a Judge of the Court of Appeal.

A large portion of Aguiyi Ironsi Road was also converted into a parking lot by the wedding guests.

As a result, motorists and Abuja residents going in that direction were made to park faraway and trek to their various destinations.

The roads were still blocked as at 12:30p.m. when News Express left the area.
Osita Udeora, a media practitioner whose office is located in the neighbourhood, told News Express that such inconveniences have become a routine.

“It is worse when President Goodluck Jonathan is passing through the area or has anything to do around here,” he said. “On one occasion, I had to trek from Transcorp Hilton Hotel (a very long distance) to my office because of road closure,” Udeora lamented.

By News Express, www.newsexpressngr.com, on 08/06/2013

The Peoples Democratic Party last week suspended Amaechi over alleged anti-party activities. But analysts are of the view that he was suspended by the PDP for refusing party directive not to recontest the NGF headship.

Amaechi, who spoke when he visited the headquarters of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum located at Asokoro, Abuja, on Tuesday, said there was no need for him to step down after the conclusion of the election. He was accompanied by Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.

Amaechi was reacting to a question on whether he and his opponent in the election, Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, were ready to step down for a consensus candidate in order to bring peace to the troubled Forum.

He said he would stick to the mandate that was freely given to him.

He said, “That is the mandate that was freely given and I will stick to that mandate. I think that it is up to Nigerians to know that nothing pays more than democracy.

“The right to choose who you want to choose and the governors having made their choice, we can only do one thing but stand by the choice the governors have made.

“We should ensure that we don’t allow what is happening now to affect the stance of Nigerians in the course of the 2015 democracy. We are mature enough to manage our own democracy and our own election process.”

Currently, both Amaechi and Jang are laying claim to victory in the election with each having his supporters and loyalists among their colleagues.

The Jang faction of the NGF last week opened an office in Abuja and it already has the acceptance of President Goodluck Jonathan.

On why there was no consensus, he said the election was conducted because of the governors’ inability to reach a consensus unlike before when he said some governors would agree to step down.

He said, “Basically, you know that when individuals are not able to reach a consensus the best form of choosing a leader is by election.

“All times we always had consensus because the other partner will say I am not going to run.

“In this case none of us agreed to step down for each other and the only way to go about it was to vote and we voted and one person emerged.

“I want to urge governor Jang because he said he is a Christian to know that God watches over everybody and whatever you say say it according to God because beyond NGF, you and I know that there is heaven and you can’t go to heaven if you don’t tell the truth and stand by the truth. I am not saying he is not saying the truth, I am not saying he is not standing by the truth.

“I am just saying that nobody can go to heaven when he is not saying the truth.”

He appealed to members of the staff of NGF to remain focused, and assured them that their salaries would be paid.

Meanwhile, Fayemi on Tuesday explained the reason behind his surreptitious recording of the NGF election.

He said, “The video is the only proof that there was an election. The video was a proof to the world that the election took place. Amaechi did not plant any video anywhere as being speculated in some quarters. The video was an amateurish way of proofing that there was an election.

“We are appealing to our colleagues to allow good reason to prevail and return to the only NGF that is known to law.”

On why the Amaechi group had refused to call any meeting after the May 24 election, Fayemi said, “We are not rushing to call a meeting because we want to bring everybody together. As soon as that is done, we will call for a meeting,” he explained.

The Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, however said there was no need for the election of the NGF chairman.

Yuguda said it was the turn of the north to preside over the forum, adding that the disputed election ought not to have been held in the first place when the 19 northern governors had earlier decided on a consensus candidate.

The governor spoke with reporters in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said, “You can see that the need for election did not arise in the first place given the fact that we, the governors of the north, who are in the majority, had chosen a consensus candidate before the election.

“Why could the northern governors agree to go for voting when we knew we had the majority and had selected our chairman by consensus?”

Yuguda insisted that he would not be attending the meetings of the Northern States Governors’ Forum because of the activities of some of his colleagues during the NGF election.

He challenged the Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, who is also the chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum to speak to the nation on the agreement reached at the Forum’s meeting on the need to support the candidature of Jang before the NGF election.

The governor said, “My only request is for the Chief Servant of Niger State to address the nation on what was agreed by all of us at the meeting of the northern governors after which we proceeded to present our position to the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum on May 24.

“If he ( Aliyu) tells the world that we decided on presenting Governor Jang for adoption and not for election, then I will return to the Northern Governors Forum.

“But if that is not done, I will never be part of the forum for the remaining two years of my governorship. I cannot continue to be part of an association that takes a decision they cannot come out to defend.”

-Punch

The fight for the control of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum between Rivers Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and Plateau Governor, Jonah Jang, took a different turn weekend as pro-Ameachi governors, represented by Lagos Governor, Babatunde Fashola, went to court to stop Jang from parading himself as the chairman of the NGF.

Fashola, who filed the suit at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in his capacity as a member of the forum, asked the court to declare that Jang is not competent to be called the elected chairman of the NGF.

Apart from Jang, other defendants in the suit are the Director-General of the NGF, Asishana Okauru; the Sole Administrator purportedly appointed by Jang, Osaro Onaiwu, and the Registered Trustees of the NGF vested with the power to administer and manage the trusts of the NGF.

In the writ of summons filed by a former Lagos Attorney General, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and former West African Bar Association President, Femi Falana (SAN), Fashola maintained that 35 governors participated in the election that returned Amaechi as the NGF chairman.

He, therefore, asked the court to stop Jang from parading himself “as the elected chairman of the NGF in any manner whatsoever and howsoever.”

Fashola is also seeking a declaration that the first defendant (Jang) is not competent to relocate the secretariat of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum from No. 1, Deng Xiaoping Street, Off AIT Junction, Asokoro Extension, Abuja to No. 2, Nana Close, by Ene Crescent, Off Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja or to any other place.

The plaintiff revealed that Okauru had been under pressure from Jang to handover the assets and documents of the NGF to him (Jang).

-Vanguard

The coloured posters, versions of which had been reportedly sighted earlier in Kaduna and Niger states, bear portraits of Lamido and Amaechi in a joint ticket campaign posture.

By the way, the two governors had at various times denied nursing such ambitions.

Our correspondents sighted a number of these posters along major highways especially in satellite towns and on flyovers in parts of the Federal Capital Territory.

Some of the posters, seen pasted along the Abuja-Gwarimpa-Kubwa Expressway, had the inscription “2015: Vote for Lamido/Amaechi ticket.”

The Peoples Democratic Party had on Monday suspended Amaechi, citing anti-party activities. The suspension came barely two days after Amaechi won a re-election as Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, a post which the party had warned him not to contest.

He won against Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, said to be a favourite of the Presidency and leaders of the PDP.

Amaechi had described the suspension by the PDP National Working Committee as a political witch-hunt which he said showed the “desperation of Abuja people.”

He said the PDP gave him no fair hearing and that his suspension by the party was politically-motivated.

The Rivers governor on Tuesday asked the people of his state to pray for him, saying his life was in danger.

He had said, “The way these people at the federal level are desperate, they may come after my life; so when you pray, remember to pray for me to remain alive. Now, you see political witch-hunt. It is so ridiculous; my party must rise above political witch-hunt,” the governor said during an interactive session with the youths of the state.

The outcome of the NGF election has been mired in controversy with both Amaechi and Governor of Plateau State Jonah Jang, claiming victory.

Already, one of the governors from the northern part of the country, who spoke in confidence to some journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, said he and his colleagues were not moved with threats to either suspend or expel them from the party.

He said it would be wrong for the leadership of the party to claim ignorance of the law as stipulated in the PDP constitution concerning the party’s NEC.

The governor said he and his colleagues knew that one of the problems Amaechi had with the party was his presiding over PDP governors’ meetings, where the state chief executives demanded the convening of the NEC meeting.

-Punch

Though the names of the lawmakers were not mentioned, the number of anti-Amaechi state legislators has suddenly swollen to 13 out of 32.

Five members of the House had, from the outset, taken a position against the governor since the beginning of the crisis which is threatening the existence of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

But the Speaker of the House, Mr. Otelemaba Amachree, said the number of members of the House, who had been swayed against the governor, was not enough to impeach the governor.

Amachree, who spoke with The PUNCH through his Media Assistant, Mr. Jim Okpiki, stated that with 19 lawmakers on the side of the governor, it would be difficult to remove (Amaechi).

He said, “We are aware that between five and eight lawmakers have compromised and are making moves to impeach the governor. But they don’t have enough number to impeach the state governor.

“They have to impeach the Speaker first before thinking of removing the governor because he (Speaker) will not betray the governor. Mr. Speaker is never a traitor and he (Amachree) has not seen any reason why he should give up on Amaechi.

“Apart from that, the lawmakers that have compromised would have to tell the world the governor’s offence, because as far as we are concerned, Governor Amaechi has not committed any impeachable offence.”

The Speaker challenged the compromised lawmakers to come out in the open and explain to Rivers people why they had decided to betray the governor.

It was, however, learnt that the eight lawmakers, who were swayed to Wike’s camp during a meeting held outside the state, decided to hide their intention in order not to jeopardise the plan to unseat the governor.

Amaechi had, during an interaction with some youths in the state, declared that he was not afraid of being impeached, saying he had done his best for the development of the state.

He urged the people to use their voter cards to remove “irresponsible governments” from public office in 2015.

It will be recalled that the House of Assembly had adjourned sine die (indefinitely) after suspending the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Mr. Timothy Nsirim, even as a caretaker committee was sworn in to oversee the affairs of the council.

The development had deepened the political crisis in the state, with security operatives from the state Police Command sealing off the council secretariat about a month ago.

The call for prompt convening of NEC, The PUNCH learnt, is to signal the governors’ resolve to battle with the party leaders over the suspension of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State.

Amaechi, who apparently defied the PDP handlers’ order not to contest re-election as chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, was on Monday suspended from the party by the National Working Committee.

The outcome of the election has been mired in controversy with both Amaechi and Governor of Plateau State Jonah Jang, claiming victory.

Already, one of the governors from the northern part of the country, who spoke in confidence to some journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, said he and his colleagues were not moved with threats to either suspend or expel them from the party.

He said it would be wrong for the leadership of the party to claim ignorance of the law as stipulated in the PDP constitution concerning the party’s NEC.

The governor said he and his colleagues knew that one of the problems Amaechi had with the party was his presiding over PDP governors’ meetings, where the state chief executives demanded the convening of the NEC meeting.

The governor said, “You know that at our meeting of Wednesday, January 9, we demanded the holding of NEC meeting of our party and that the meeting must be held as stipulated in the constitution.

“Twenty-one of us (governors) including those mobilising against Amaechi now, were at that meeting, which was held at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge at Asokoro, Abuja.

“What does the constitution of the party say concerning holding of NEC meeting? It says NEC meeting must be held at least every quarter.

“We held the meeting last when? More than 10 months ago and someone is there talking about someone breaching the party’s constitution.

“Tell me, those who have refused to call for NEC meeting or those who are subverting the provision of the party’s constitution, who will query them?”

The party’s last NEC meeting was held in July 2012.

Apart from the suspension of Amaechi, another issue the governors are insisting on is deliberation on the report of the Independent National Electoral Commission on the party’s national convention.

INEC, had in a letter to the PDP in March, declared that the election of 12 party officials at its 2012 National Convention was flawed because it did not follow due process.

INEC, therefore, voided the election of the affected 12 party officials.

Those whose elections were cancelled included the party’s Deputy National Chairman, Sam Sam Jaja; National Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha; and Deputy National Organising Secretary, Okechukwu Nnadozie.

Others are the National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh; Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Binta Goje; National Youth Leader, Garba Chiza; his deputy, Dennis Alonge; Deputy National Auditor, Umar Ibrahim; National Woman Leader, Kema Chikwe; her deputy, Hannatu Ulam; Deputy National Treasurer, Claudus Inengas; and National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon.

The four national officers whose election were considered to have met democratic standards are the National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur; former National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former National Auditor, Bode Mustapha; and the party’s Financial Secretary, Bolaji Anani. Curiously, Oyinlola and Mustapha have been pushed out of office by court judgments.

In March, Metuh had issued a statement, saying that the NWC was ready for the much-talked about NEC meeting.

Metuh had, in the statement which was silent on the expected date of the meeting, said the party’s leadership would present clean copies of the PDP amended constitution to NEC.

The constitution was amended at the party’s national convention, which held in Abuja in March 2012.

The inability of the leadership of the party to hold its NEC meeting since July 2012 due to its internal crisis has prevented the constitution from being fully accepted and circulated.

The few copies presented to NEC at its last meeting, was said to be full of errors, which necessitated its return to NWC for correction.

This, notwithstanding, the NWC had started implementing the constitution, a move the governors had complained about.

Amaechi also told an inter-party summit in Port Harcourt on Tuesday that only the PDP could suspend a governor without reason.

He said, “Any government formed without the people’s votes cannot be responsible to the people. The only way government or governors or presidents or whoever can stop corruption, can stop maladministration is when that government is put in place by you (the people).

“They know that if they don’t govern well, you (the people) will vote them out. So your first demand should be that all governments must be responsible enough to allow for a free and fair election.

“Indeed, it is only the PDP that has the guts to suspend a governor without a reason. I leave them to God and to you. We must come together to defend Rivers State. It’s not about me; I have served eight years as Speaker, nearly six years as governor.

“Even if I am removed tomorrow, I am satisfied that this state, this country and history will recognise and remember me. If there is no history that I have made, the one God has helped me to make is the one that I stood out and fought for my right and became a governor.”

Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, meanwhile, has said that he would not leave the PDP. Aliyu is the Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and major backer of Amaechi in the NGF.

Aliyu denied being a part of a splinter group ready to dump the PDP.

The governor said this in Minna, on Tuesday, while reacting to reports that he and some others were planning to dump the ruling party to protest the outcome of the NGF election.

Aliyu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Danladi Ndayebo, said, “The story of planned defection is a figment of imagination of persons who are either threatened by the successes the party has made in the last 14 years or are afraid of squaring up with the party in 2015 general elections.”

He noted that he remained “a committed democrat, principled politician and loyal member of the Peoples Democratic Party.”

Meanwhile, the northern socio-political group, the Arewa Consultative Forum, has raised the alarm about the desperation of politicians ahead of the 2015 elections.

The ACF, which stated this in a communiqué at the end of its meeting in Kaduna on Tuesday, said that the undemocratic measures were contrary to the peace and unity of the country.

“Some politicians are already resorting to measures that are undemocratic and may run counter to the peace and unity of the country,” the forum noted in a communiqué signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Fati Ibrahim.

-Punch

PORT HARCOURT — Rumuewhor community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, has tasked the Rivers State Government and the Police to intensify efforts to secure the release of abducted two National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members by kidnappers in the state.

It will be recalled that two NYSC members were, two days ago, abducted from Odegu Comprehensive High School, Rumuewhor by gunmen, who invaded the NYSC quarters in the community school.

Their whereabouts is still unknown, as no contact had been established with their abductors.

His Royal Highness, Oha Ikech Igbukwu, Yeweali Rumuewhor, who spoke on the development, said the community was calling on state government and the police to help free the corps members.

-Vanguard

The suspension of Amaechi from the party was agreed during an unscheduled and unusually early morning meeting of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party at the residence of the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. The meeting, Vanguard learnt, commenced at 8.00 a.m.

The meeting came two days ahead of the regular meeting of the NWC which normally holds on Wednesdays. It was also three days after Amaechi beat the odds with his re-election as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF. He had been allegedly opposed by the PDP Governors’ Forum, PDP-GF ahead of the election.

The governor spoke amidst strong opposition from his loyalists and some party chieftains over what they described as the continued reign of lawlesness in the party. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in a sharp reaction called on the founders of the party to mobilise against what he described as the party’s slip towards disintegration.

The suspension of the governor was, however, welcomed by the newly inaugurated Rivers State executive of the PDP that is opposed to the governor.

The governor’s suspension was hinged on what the party described as his refusal to order the reinstatement of members of the Obio Akpor Local Government executive who were suspended from office by the orders of the Rivers State House of Assembly upon allegations of corruption raised against the LG executive.

Hours after the suspension was announced, the party at a press conference said that it had constituted a committee headed by Mr. Joe Gadzama, SAN, to probe allegations raised against Amaechi.

Other members of the committee are PDP National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon; Inalegwu Onche, Friday Nwosu, Udorji Amedu, Ola Kukuyi, Wakil Mohammed, Yusuf Jangwe, Mrs Bola Doherty, Mr. Tanimu Adamson and Anicho Okoro as Secretary.

The time frame for the committee’s assignment was, however, not given.

NGF crisis assumes new dimension

However, Vanguard gathered, yesterday ,that the crisis rocking the Nigeria Governors’ Forum has taken a new dimension, with the Governor Jonah Jang-led parallel faction appointing Mr. Osaro Onaiwo as Sole Administrator of Jang’s office in Maitama, Abuja. He is to act pending the appointment of a substantive director-general.

In the statement conveying the governor’s suspension issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, yesterday, the party said:

“The National Working Committee at its emergency meeting on Monday, May 27, 2013 considered the petition submitted by the PDP Rivers Executive Committee against His Excellency, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Executive Governor of Rivers State for violating Articles 58 1 (b), (c ), (h) and (m) of the PDP Constitution following his refusal to obey the lawful directive of the Rivers State Executive Committee to rescind his decision dissolving the elected Executive Council of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

“The National Working Committee after preliminary hearing, in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 57 (3), 59 (3), 59 (5) and 29 (2.b), hereby suspends the Executive Governor of River State, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as a member of the PDP and refers the matter to the appropriate disciplinary committee of the Party.
“This is in furtherance of the determination of the leadership of the party to enforce discipline at all levels within the party.”

My life under threat — Amaechi

Reacting to his suspension during an interactive session with youths of the state, Amaechi called for prayers saying that desperate people who he claimed did not follow the due process of hearing from him could also be after his life.

He, however, vowed that God who kept him in the face of the six-month intrigues that preceded his inauguration in 2007 would also see him through. The interactive session with the youths with the theme: “Consolidating on Rivers of our Dreams” took place at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt.

Noting the desperation of his foes, he said: “The way these people at the federal level are desperate, they may come after my life. So when you pray, remember to pray for me to remain alive.

“Who has power to suspend Obio/Akpor council? Now you see political witch-hunting; it is so ridiculous, my party must rise above political witch-hunting. The Governor did not suspend Obio/Akpor council, I hope you know. My power is to dissolve and remit it to the House of Assembly, but I have not done that yet, what the Assembly has said is ‘we are investigating corruption’ then the party says we should not investigate corruption, is that fair?”.

Amaechi said the NWC issued a press statement to suspend him without any invitation and fair hearing. “I was not invited by the National Working Committee of PDP, I was not given fair hearing. What I heard was ‘why did I refuse to reinstate the suspended Obio/Akpor Council executive? Who suspended them?’, he asked.

His question received the enthusiastic response of the youths who chorused: “The Rivers State House of Assembly.”

Again the governor asked, ‘who has the power to investigate Obio/Akpor council executive?”. The Youths again replied: “The State Assembly.”

“If they are not guilty, then they will re-instate them, but if they are guilty, then we will ask for the dissolution of the council. We have not even gone half, and the Party (PDP) says re-instate them. It means that the party likes corruption. Let the Assembly resume and commence investigation, let’s see what goes on. Whether there is corruption or not, it is the business of the Assembly. I have been a Speaker, and I know the powers of a Speaker and the legislature. I used it when I was a Speaker”, Amaechi said.

“What is the police still doing at the Obio/Akpor Council building? The court gave an order to the Police to vacate Obio/Akpor Council, they disobeyed, and the police are still stationed there”, he said.

“The Federal Government does not care, they only stationed police at Obio/Akpor council, even if everybody dies, they don’t care. Now the whole state will be grounded, because the police have refused to vacate the Obio/Akpor Council Secretariat. They don’t want to know, we are not important to the federal government, we are not important at all”, Amaechi lamented.

“You know what it took for us to stop militancy in the state. But only last week, they now organized militants to return to the streets of Port Harcourt, is that not shameful. You all know how the militants spent our money, raped our women, killed our parents and young men. Immediately the militants stopped protesting, the police said, nobody should protest again”, Amaechi stated.

“Internal democracy is important in our party, they fought me with everything, and I still won the Nigeria Governors’ Forum election, what should they do? They should have joined me to thank God. Because what it means is that God has spoken. It happened when I was in Ghana, I fasted and prayed for six months, 6am to 6pm, and God made me Governor.

I will not leave PDP — Amaechi

“I will not leave the PDP. I will go to court. The plane (aircraft) issue is same politics, pure politics. For one year plus, a minister refused to sign import permit. I’m sure you are aware of the House of Representatives Committee report on the plane issue.”

On the NGF election, Governor Amaechi said: “You will see it on the internet when the Governors were voting, all the governors were there and you will also see the counting. We (Governors) agreed to vote, and all the governors voted, so any governor who said he didn’t vote is lying against the nation because all of us are on oath to govern properly. So we should not lie, every governor voted, you will see the video. If we leaders of Nigeria today are refusing to accept the results of a properly organized election supervised by the Director-General of the Governors’ Forum, and somebody brought a paper that was signed in April. If you check that list, it was signed in April and you brought it on May 24 after the Governors have finished voting their chairman into office; that list is not part of our election. There is a rumour that they want to go to court to stop me as NGF chairman. We are ready to meet them in court but they should not go through the backdoor to get an order ”, Amaechi said.

Meantime, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari has described the suspension of the governor by his party as worrisome, adding that it was witch hunting.

“We are concerned as we believe this is political witch-hunt. It is worrisome. The reason given is the suspension of the Obio/Akpor council. This is purely a legislative matter and one in accordance to the laws of local government councils in Rivers State.”

On his part, the Chief of Staff Government House, Mr Tony Okocha said the action of the party made no sense. “The suspension makes no sense. How can you suspend the governor if you talk of rule of law? There are indices of the rule of law. Nobody called the governor for hearing on any issue. The whole thing makes no sense.”

When contacted for comment, the Publicity Secretary of the Chief Godspower Ake-led faction of the PDP in the state, Mr George Wogba said they had not been formally informed of the action of the party.

The Felix Obuah led PDP on its part supported the suspension. Publicity Secretary of the faction, Mr Nwanosike Samuel who spoke also said the governor did not win the NGF election.

The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Otelemaba Amachree declined comment on the development. His media aide, Mr Jim Opiki said his boss would not want to say anything on the development at the moment.

Former National Deputy Chairman of the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) Chief Asukewe Iko-Awaji, faulted the suspension saying it was a violation of democratic tenets.

“I don’t want to talk much about PDP as a party, but what you must know is the role of a party and that of government; they are different. That PDP suspends Amaechi does not remove him from office as governor”, he ended.

Stakeholders react

Reactions to the development also flowed from several stakeholders in the polity yesterday. Among those who spoke yesterday were the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC; the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP; former Minister of Petroleum, Prof. Tam David-West; constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sir Austin Opara; member of the PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Segun Babatope; former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Junaid Mohammed; civil rights activist cum lawyer, Bamidele Aturu; spokesman of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin among others.

CPC

“In the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), we are appalled by the sordid affair that the recently concluded chairmanship election of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) degenerated into. What started as a spat between the Party’s National leader and Nation’s President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and the NGF’s re-elected Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has now snow-balled into the suspension of the latter! We are aware that the PDP’s national leadership was miffed by Governor Amaechi’s victory, despite the high-wire opposition that the Presidency mounted to forestall it. The anti-Amaechi governors that are being prodded by the Presidency are clearly unaware of the buffoonery of their claims that a pre-election endorsement easily translated to the votes garnered by their candidate (Chief Jonah Jang) at the Governors’ election. This, again, attests to the opprobrious level that the PDP ‘s degeneration can be!”

Presidency has been reduced to pettiness —David-West

“Jonathan is very confused because in a democracy there are provisions for separation of powers. And that was what happened on the dissolution of Obi Akpor Local Government Executive Council. It was not Amaechi that did it, rather it was an act of parliament and the parliament is allowed under the law to do so. There were allegations of financial mismanagement by the community and the parliament came in to perform its duties as required by the laws.”

The people advising Jonathan are misleading him. How they can unleash crisis on the state because of disagreements with Amaechi. He is just confused on how to oust Amaechi.”

PDP’ll suffer it at the end —Sagay

“We all know that he was suspended because he contested and defeated the PDP’s and president’s candidate at the elections. Whenever the PDP goes about displaying contempt and persecuting its leading lights, then it has embarked on a path of self destruction. How can a man be treated like that for exercising his legal and human rights. The PDP has always displayed contempt for the rule of law and democracy. The PDP will suffer more and not Amaechi because Amaechi is a good example and a good model. He is a shining model and the party is a contravention of that. They have succeeded in adding to Amaechi’s status as one of the leading lights of the party. In other words the party will suffer for this at the end.”

Amaechi won the NGF election — Junaid Mohammed

What has happened is unfortunate and it will be sad if the media believes anything coming from this Presidency and its handlers about this Nigerian Governors Forum crises.”

I want to believe many Nigerians know what is happening today is not accidental, it is being manoeuvred for the simple purpose of tenure elongation for President Jonathan come 2015. I believe in a democracy, nobody should be afraid of election, nobody should be rattled with the outcome of the NGF election. When things like this happens, democracy is being dismantled little by little.

NGF crises is heating up the polity — Odumakin

Nigerian Governors Forum, (NGF) is not a constitutional body but a think-thank for the governors. The Governors were elected to govern their state and not unionise. Infact most of the Governors have abandoned their state projects because of the politics of NGF and playing unionism over the place. It is a shame that 35 governors will bend the rules and they cannot hold a peaceful election among themselves and now they want to tie the nation down.

Amaechi should allow himself to be led — Opara

It is an indication of selfishness on the part of some players who believe that they must lead. Their principle and theory is that they must rule and not be follower. Otherwise, there are 36 members in the forum and 19 members are standing behind one person and simple arithmetic shows that the person is the winner. My belief is that if you don’t have the majority, then you follow, must you always lead? I believe the crises in the Governors forum is because somebody believes he must lead and never be led. My advice for Governor Amaechi is that he should be fair and follow the Governor Jang leadership because he enjoyed the same when he led the majority. He should subject himself to the leadership of Governor Jang so that we can have peace in this country.

Party position is supreme —Babatope

Nobody can be greater than the party, nobody can be bigger than his party, the party is supreme and that is the norm all over the world. Because of this NGF crises, we now have a situation whereby opposition parties are rooting for the destruction of the country. I think the best thing the party can do in that circumstance is to suspend such person and send him to the disciplinary committee.

I am appealing to the party to ensure Governor Amaechi is given all the democratic rights to defend himself before the National Working Committee of the party. Governor Amaechi is a brilliant man, but in a situation whereby advises to Amaechi, the party must ensure he is disciplined.

CNPP

We have already cautioned Mr President not to pander into the hands of anti-democrats, as Amechi’s victory is victory for democracy and harbinger of what we expect in 2015. The era of African BIg Man is gone forever in Nigeria.

A bad omen —Peterside

This is an inauspicious moment to suspend a popular governor who is not only marking his 48th birthday today but was also a few days ago, re-elected by his colleagues in Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF as Chairman. This news is baffling and a major blow to lovers of democracy because it violates the right of an individual to associate freely, to vote and be voted for in any democratic process. The NGF is not an extension of PDP, and thus cannot be governed by the constitution of the PDP. This is also a major impediment to PDP’s future as a party. As Governor Amaechi is seen in Nigeria today as one of the most outstanding governors. What would it benefit a political party to suspend its most performing governor?

It is unfortunate — Seconte Davis, (PDP Rivers)

This is the only time I have heard that somebody is punished for winning. If canvassing for the support of his colleagues is a crime, why is the defeated ‘anointed candidate’ not equally suspended since he has opposition members like Peter Obi and Olusegun Mimiko who supported him.
Those who play or want to play God should not forget that power belongs to God and he gives it to whomever and however it pleases him

Femi Gbajabiamilla, Minority Leader, (ACN Lagos)

It tells you how low a government will go when desperate. This is an accidental government. There is supposed to be an art and a science to governance but this one possesses neither. First it is the state assembly members that were purportedly suspended and now its the governor.

Datti Ahmed (CPC, Kaduna), Deputy Minority Whip

We in the opposition are very happy about what is happening in the PDP. It is nemesis and it shows that PDP is on its way to the grave.
Everyday is for the thief and one day is for the owner. It is the injustice that they have done that is haunting them. They are expelling the democrats among them. Let them suspend more; we are waiting for them. This is the right time for them to join t’he opposition.”

Kingsley Chinda (PDP) Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency.

“I have said that party is superior to its members. Without discipline we cannot progress. However, fairness, equity and due process must be complied with.”

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