Governors Forum on Wednesday condemned the relocation of election
tribunals from Rivers, Taraba and Akwa Ibom States to Abuja.
They also elected Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, as chairman of
their forum. He takes over from Senator Godswill Akpabio, former
governor of Akwa Ibom State.
The forum also congratulated the leadership of the National Assembly
under Senate President, Bukola Saraki and speaker of the House of
Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara.
They also congratulated president Muhammadu Buhari over electoral
victory at the March 28 presidential election and the former president
Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat and ensure peace of the polity.
The meeting which was started by 9pm at the secretariat of the defunct
splinter Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) under former Plateau State
governor, now Senator Jonah Jang, stretched into the early hours of
Wednesday morning.
According to Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, addressed newsmen at
the end of the meeting he said "we condemn in very strong terms the
relocation of election tribunals in Rivers State, Taraba State and
Akwa Ibom State to Abuja."
He added that "the PDP governors' forum unanimously elected Dr.
Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State as chairman of the forum.
With regards to this "We congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari
GCFR, on his election as the President and Commander-In-Chief of the
Nigerian Armed Forces. We also commend and salute our former President
Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for his display of peaceful disposition in
the 2015 general elections which has stabilised our political
landscape.
"We equally congratulate Senator Bukola Saraki, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and
Hon. Suleiman on their emergence as the Senate President, Speaker and
Deputy Speaker respectively. We specially congratulate our own
senator, Ike Ekweremadu, on his emergence as Deputy Senate President."
Speaking in a separate interview with few journalists after the
briefing Mimiko, assured that the PDP will criticize Buhari's
administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC) constructively.
He also added that under his leadership of the forum, governors will
engage in peer review mechanisms for development.
"We will do everything that we can do to engage the presidency and APC
in a very constructive manner. We have also agreed to create formal
and informal mechanisms of pair review, all for the development of our
nation" he said.
Governors in attendance: Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, Capt.
Idris Wada (Kogi), Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi
(Enugu), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Darius
Ishaku (Taraba).
The deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral John Jonah
represented the state governor at the meeting.
Governors absent at the meeting: Governors Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe
State, Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, Nyesome Wike of Rivers, Ifeanyi
Okowa of Delta and Professor Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers State.
—247 Nigeria News
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