20101103
Daily Trust

Ogun State governor Otumba Gbenga Daniel, who was at the weekend prematurely named the next chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum [NGF] by a group of governors loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan, may be edged out by Gombe State governor Muhammad Danjuma Goje as members of the forum meet in Abuja today to elect a chairman.

Incumbent NGF chairman Governor Bukola Saraki is expected to formally relinquish the position in order to concentrate on his campaign for the PDP presidential ticket.

Daily Trust learnt that several pro-Jonathan governors led by Benue State governor Gabriel Suswam will push for the ratification of Daniel's choice. Daniel, like Suswam, is a regional campaign coordinator for Jonathan.

They are however expected to face tough opposition from a faction of PDP governors, supported by several non-PDP governors such as Kano's Malam Ibrahim Shekarau [ANPP], Edo's Adams Oshiomhole [ACN] and Lagos' Babatunde Fashola [ACN]. All three men had publicly spoken out against Daniel's choice, saying due process was violated and that the meeting at which he was purportedly selected was irregular.

The anti-Daniel governors will then push for the selection of Goje as chairman, in line with the unspoken understanding that a second term governor should be nominated for the post. However, Daily Trust leant last night Niger State governor Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu has also been promoted by some of his colleagues to succeed as chairman. Muazu is current chairman of the influential Northern Governors Forum.

Sources close to some of the governors said the meeting is likely to be tense as many governors are prepared to vent their anger regarding the unilateral decision by a few of their colleagues to appoint the Ogun State Otunba Gbenga Daniel as successor to Saraki.

Some of them believed it was part of a series of desperate measures by supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan to give the presidency the impression that they were in charge, Daily Trust learnt.

"Actually many of the governors are angry with the way the president is going about the whole thing and they are poised to vent their anger by putting a stiff resistance to Governor Daniel who was unilaterally appointed at a meeting of which they were not informed," a source told Daily Trust yesterday.

The source said some of the governors are planning to back a PDP second term governor from the north east in protest. He said the governors would have had no problem with Daniel but for the "embarrassing manner he was chosen."

"You know after all it is just a ceremonial position since the chairman has only his vote and those of delegates from his state to bring to the primary election. He has no power to influence the decision of any other governor," the source noted.

On Saturday last week, the Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam announced that a meeting of the governors held on Friday had nominated Governor Gbenga Daniel as the new chairman of the forum following the purported resignation of the Kwara State governor.

The announcement was met with spontaneous reactions from state governors who said they did not know of the said meeting. Incumbent chairman Governor Saraki, in a swift reaction, said he had not resigned his position. The Secretariat of the Forum also denied any knowledge of a formal change of guard.

The NGF secretariat quoted the out-going chairman Saraki as urging the public to disregard the media reports, saying a meeting had been called today where a decision will be taken in line with laid down procedures of the forum.

Similarly, governors of the opposition parties including Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the Kano State governor Malam Ibrahim Shekarau frowned at Suswam's announcement, saying they weren't involved in the decision.

Also, chairman of the Northern Governors' Forum Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu said all was not well with the emergence of the Ogun State governor Otumba Gbenga Daniel as chairman of the National Governors' Forum and his selection was not acceptable.

He said the process of Daniel's selection was marred by flaws, stressing that only a generally accepted candidate will be allowed to chair the governors' forum.

The NGF is an umbrella organisation of the 36 states serving governors of the federation formed after the American Governors Association and it has been a very influential body in the country since 1999.