Amaechi Leads 31 Govs to Jonathan’s Dinner

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi yesterday led 31 governors, mostly those in his own faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), to a dinner launch of the book on President Goodluck Jonathan’s mid-term report held at the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
When asked by curious State House Correspondents whether his presence alongside other governors in his faction was an indication that the problem in NGF had been resolved, Amaechi denied outright that there were factions within the forum at the moment.
“Was NGF sick? I don’t know about factions. We were holding NGF meeting and we agreed that those of us who were there should honour the president and attend the dinner,” he said.
On whether he told the other factional chairman of the NGF, Governor Jonah Jang, that there was a meeting of the NGF yesterday, he said, “He (Jang) was invited. What is my business if he was not there? 16 governors voted for him, 19 governors voted for me.
“If he does not accept the 19, he is undemocratic. Anybody who supports him, including television houses, are also undemocratic. I have said it in a statement that if at any point in time we cannot uphold what 19 governors said, then we should be afraid of 2015.
“We must learn to be democratic. I am not aware that the party has given any reason for suspending me; if that is the reason, too bad. I am not aware that the party suspended me for winning an election,” he said.
On the way forward, Amaechi simply said, “That is the question to ask Jang and those who are supporting him. Those with me are in the majority”.
Thirty-two governors attended the dinner, as at the time of filing this report. The dinner was also well attended by eminent PDP members in the National Assembly and ministers.
Some of the state governors present at the dinner include governors of Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ogun, Taraba, Rivers, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Akwa-Ibom, Lagos, Sokoto, Bauchi, Benue, Anambra, Kano, Zamfara, Kogi, Ekiti, Ondo, Plateau, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Niger, Osun, Borno, Katsina, Bayelsa, and Oyo.