NGF: 10 PDP Govs protest Amaechi’s victory

Akpabio, Orji and Obi

The division between Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and the camp of President Goodluck Jonathan was on Friday thrown in the open by 10 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state-controlled governors.

The pro Jonathan governors were left with the short end of the stick, as Ameachi, against all odds, trounced the Plateau State governor Jonah Jang who contested the position with Amaechi.

The governors have rejected and denounced Amaechi’s 19-16 victory over Jang. The Governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Geidam, did not show up.

The protesting governors: Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-Ibom); Sullivan Chime (Enugu); Isa Yuguda (Bauchi); Idris Wada (Kogi); Liyel Imoke (Cross River); and Martin Elechi (Ebonyi).

Governors Jonah Jang (Plateau), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) and Peter Obi (Anambra) have also kicked against the result.. Obi is of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), one of the five opposition party state governors that voted in the election.

Leading the protesting governors, Akpabio said Amaechi ought to have resigned his position as chairman of the NGF before contesting the election. The action, he insisted, breached the rules.

Yuguda expressed disbelief at the outcome of the election in spite of the fact that the PDP Governors Forum supposedly presented a common candidate.

The governors did not state whether they were speaking for the PDP Governors or speaking for themselves.

Our correspondent put a call through to the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh at 9 .18 pm yesterday, to seek the party’s position on the outcome of the contest.

He responded that it was solely an NGF affair, saying that the election was not about the PDP and that the party did not monitor the exercise.

Metuh  abridged the conversation and excused himself. He promised to get back to our correspondent later. He had yet to do so at the time this report was being filed.