NGF elections: PDP step up campaign against Amaechi’s candidature

Forces against Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, are working round the clock to ensure that he is not re-elected for the coveted position of chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum,NGF. DailyPost gathered that the Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party,PDP, Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, who is leading the movement, is holding meetings with Governors under the platform of the party in a bid to convince them to vote against the incumbent.

Amaechi and Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema, a candidate backed by the Presidency, will on May 9 contest the NGF chairmanship election.

Anenih’s and his entourage are now in the South South to win the support of zone. They are scheduled to meet Governors Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta).

Already, the team has met Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River.

After the meeting, Anenih, in a chat with newsmen said, as Chairman of the South South Governors’ Forum, Imoke’s input is critical to the decision of who leads the NGF.

He, however, declined to name the candidate his group advised Imoke to support.

“He is the chairman, South South Governors’ Forum and a strong member of NGF and as such, we discussed who becomes the chairman of NGF with him. But for now, it is not for the press to know what we discussed. When the election is held, the press will know the outcome,” he said.


Anenih further disclosed that the disputed Bakassi Peninsula and ceding of 75 oil wells to Akwa Ibom state was also part of the talks.

“We discussed positively on the Bakassi matter and the 76 oil wells, and I can assure you that Governor Imoke is quite happy with the steps the Presidency has taken on it. We also discussed issues concerning the Governors’ Forum, issues concerning South-South region and issues concerning the PDP, and from here, we will continue our visit to other states.

“The Governor asked us to thank the President for the actions he had taken in respect of these issues,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Imoke thanked the team for their visit.

“It was an honour to the state and it was necessary that the BoT members decided to come out, to show solidarity to the state, especially on the Bakassi issue and oil well.”

On the lobby for NGF chairman, it was gathered that after the visit of the South South, the Anenih team will move to the South East to meet with PDP Governors, Messrs Theodore Orji (Abia), Martins Elechi (Ebonyi) and Sullivan Chime (Enugu).

The team’s next stop shall be the North Central, from South East, where they will meet with the Governors of Benue, Plateau, Kogi, Bauchi, Kaduna and other states in the North, DailyPost had gathered.