EXCLUSIVE: Amaechi invites Jang faction to Governors’ Forum meeting

The Rivers State Governor and Chairman
of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF,
Chibuike Amaechi, has scheduled a
meeting of the forum for next Tuesday to
discuss crucial matters affecting it and
the country.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that invitation to
the meeting has also been extended to
Jonah Jang and the 16 governors of his
faction.
A source closed to the Mr. Amaechi, who
asked not to be named because he was
not authorised to speak on the matter,
said letters and text messages have been
sent to all the 36 state governors urging
them to attend.
The meeting will be the second since the
forum split into two following
disagreement over the May 24 election
during which Mr. Amaechi was re-elected
chairman after he beat his Plateau State
counterpart, Jonah Jang, by 19 votes to
16.
According to the invitation to next week’s
meeting obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the
forum which meets at the Rivers State
Governors Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, will
discuss the disagreement that trailed its
May 24 election, its strategic plan for
2013 – 2015, oil theft in the country, polio
eradication initiative and others.
Also, Mr Amaechi, as chairman, the draft
agenda for the meeting says, will give a
brief opening remarks covering fresh and
subsisting litigations, update on
Federation Account Allocation committee,
FAAC, Excess Crude Account, ECA, and
Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF, update on
State Peer Review Mechanism, SPRIM,
investment conferences in the US and
Russia and other issues.
It was learnt that Mr Amaechi extended
the invitation to all the 16 governors in
the faction of the Forum led by Mr Jang.
The governors in the Jang faction are
Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ibrahim
Shema (Katsina), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi),
Idris Wada (kogi) Theodore Orji (Abia),
Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Liyel Imoke
(Cross River), Godswill Akapbio (Akwa
Ibom), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Peter Obi
(Anambra), Gabriel Suswam (Benue),
Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Garba
Umar (Taraba), Saidu Dakingari (Kebbi),
Ramalan Yero (Kaduna), and Olusegun
Mimiko, who is the deputy chairman of
the faction.
Those in the Amaechi faction are Musa
Kwamkwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko
(Sokoto), Sule Lamido (Jigawa),
Shettima Mustapha (Borno), Ibrahim
Gaidam (Yobe), Babangida Aliyu (Niger),
and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), who is the
chairman of the faction.
Others are Babatunde Fashola (Lagos),
Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Rauf Aregbesola
(Osun), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo),
Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Ibikunle Amosun
(Ogun), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa),
Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Tanko Al-
Makura (Nasarawa).
Until last August 31 when he joined other
members of the PDP to form the “New”
PDP, the Kwara State Governor,
Abdulfatah Ahmed was attending the
meetings called by the Jang faction.
The Amaechi faction had planned to hold
its first meeting two months ago but
postponed it following their invitation to a
dinner organised by President Goodluck
Jonathan at the Presidential Villa.
Members of the faction moved from the
Rivers State Governors Lodge venue of
the meeting to the dinner. At the dinner,
Mr Amaechi was prevented from moving
close to the president to exchange
greetings.
On its part, the Jang faction has met
twice since the crisis broke out.