Tension as Northern govs meet in Abuja

GOVERNORS of the 19 northern states are due to meet in Abuja today, ahead of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The meeting, which was supposed to take place in Kaduna, had to be shifted to Abuja at the instance of the vice-president, Alhaji Namadi Sambo.

Sources said the meeting would allow the governors to take a common stand on the schedule of primaries of the PDP and the bid by National Assembly members to become automatic members of the NEC.

The governors, according to sources, had resolved to fine-tune a number of issues before the NEC meeting and they could also use the opportunity to take a stand on their support for President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice-President Sambo.

It was learnt that the governors wanted to take a common position ahead of the governors meeting and the meeting of PDP governors.

“The meeting could resolve a number of issues. We could see the governors adopt the Jonathan-Sambo ticket in view of current realities and we could see hem taking a final decision on the NEC membership issue by the National Assembly members,” a source told the Nigerian Tribune.

It was gathered that the northern governors were also planning a common position on the leadership of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), which was moving to effect leadership change.