20 Governors Again Shunned Jang's Meeting

Twenty State Governors governors  shunned a Monday evening meeting called by Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau.

Mr. Jang, the self-proclaimed chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, had called the meeting to discuss crucial national issues including revenue sharing between the federal and state governments.

Some PDP governors including Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto, Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, and Seidu Dakingari of Kebbi also shunned the meeting.

All the 11 governors who are members of the newly formed All Progressives Congress also shunned the meeting.

The meeting was, however, attended by 16 governors, who are believed to be loyal to Mr. Jang. The governors later met with President Goodluck Jonathan after the meeting.

Mr. Jang had lost last month’s election of the governors’ forum chairman to Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers by 16 to 19 votes, but rejected the result.

 Present at the inaugural meeting were Jang (Plateau), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Garaba Umar (Taraba), Theodore Orji  (Abia), Martins Elechi (Ebonyi), Idris Wada (Kogi), Steve Lawani (deputy governor, Benue), Godwsill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Shehu Shema (Katsina), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Peter Obi (Anambra), Ibrahim Dankwabo (Gombe) and Liyel Imoke (Cross River).

Meanwhile, the plateau governor said he is not an impostor, in response to a warning by his Rivers State counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi, that he should stop impersonating him.

“Am I claiming to be the Governor of Rivers State? he asked journalists in Abuja after a meeting of his faction of the NGF. “How am I then impersonating him?”