The meeting of the faction of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) led by Plateau State Governor, Mr. Jonah Jang, held Monday evening in Abuja, with 18 state Governors in attendance. Two other Governors sent apologies over their inability to attend. This was in violation of the warning by Amaechi that Jang should stop parading himself as the NGF chairman. Amaechi equally reminded Jang that there is subsisting suit against him on the matter. In his word,
“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 and 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.
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 harbor 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 from parading himself as the chairman of NGF. As leaders elected by our people, Nigerians are closely watching us. We must comport ourselves according the dictates and principles of democratic and lawful practices and norms.
