The Presidency has washed its hands of the “election” of Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel as Governors’ Forum chair.

A new chair is to be elected today in Abuja.

President Goodluck Jonathan is believed to have personally reached out to governors, saying he had no hand in the decision, which has drawn flaks from many quarters. Some of the governors have publicly faulted the Daniel’s election.

Eleven governors, including Daniel, met after the fund raising dinner for President Jonathan’s campaign on Saturday night in Abuja where the Ogun State governor was purportedly elected to succeed Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki.

Governors Gabriel Suswan of Benue State and Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom have been defending the decision. Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau have condemned it.

Yesterday, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) joined the fray. He described Daniel’s “election” as “undemocratic”.

“The question of who leads the forum must be a democratic process. It bothers me because the only single national agenda we have as a country today is free and fair elections. As I was told, only 10 governors gathered to choose him (Daniel). It is burdensome that this kind of thing can happen in a party that professes to want free and fair elections,” Fashola said.

But Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswan said the 10 governors elected Daniel to make the Forum more responsive.

Suswam, who is the zonal co-ordinator of President Jonathan’s campaign in the Northcentral states, said the Forum became lukewarm after Saraki indicated that he was stepping down as chair to concentrate on his presidential campaign.

He said: “There was a bomb blast that attracted both national and international condemnation, yet because the leadership of the forum was engaged in presidential campaign, nothing has been said until now. So, when eleven of us met, we said there was need to have a leadership in place. So, if what we did has elicited a meeting for us to have a new leadership on Wednesday (today), then nothing is bad, as we have achieved a purpose.”

Fresh facts emerged yesterday that opposition governors are leading the campaign against moves to impose Governor Daniel on the Forum.

But the 10 governors who adopted Daniel have remained adamant and might not change their position at today’s meeting.

Governors elected on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Labour Party and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) are pushing for “genuine internal democracy” in the Forum.

It was gathered that the opposition governors have the backing of no fewer than 15 of the 28 governors elected on the PDP ticket.

A highly-placed source said: “There is no way the imposition of Daniel can stand. Opposition governors are already leading the campaign for the rejection.

“At least about 15 PDP governors have already indicated opposition to the choice of Daniel.

“We do not want the NGF divided because it has assumed an international status. Once opposition governors leave the Forum, that is the end of the association.

“I know that when the governors meet tomorrow (today), they will find a meeting point and resolve the crisis.”

Meanwhile, a source in the G11 governors’ camp said: “Irrespective of other governors’ position, we have decided to stand by Daniel.

“They got our decision wrong completely. We did not appoint Daniel as the Chairman of the NGF; we only decided by consensus to make him the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum.

“Are they saying that PDP Governors Forum cannot have its own leader? Their fear is that the governor leading the PDP Forum might eventually be the chairman of the NGF. That is a hasty conclusion.”

It was learnt that the President had personally taken time to tell some governors and some leaders who were concerned about the alleged meddling of the Presidency in the affairs of the NGF, that he had no hand in the crisis.

A source in The Presidency, who spoke in confidence, said: “It was shocking to the President to hear that he was behind the choice of Daniel.

“After the fund raising dinner, some governors went to the President on solidarity visit over the success of the event. None of them came up with the issue of Daniel.

“So, the President has nothing to do with the election of a new chairman for the NGF; he is not in any position to impose or influence the choice of a new leader for the governors.

“As a former governor, why will the President be dictating to his colleagues? I think it is unfair to link him with the election of a new NGF chairman.”

Asked if the presidency will play any role in today’s election, the source added: “Absolutely no. The President is not backing Daniel or anybody for that office.” He is never involved. People are just saying it is because Daniel is the co-ordinator of his campaign in the Southwest. This made them to think he must have been backed by the President. It’s not true.”

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Governor Gbenga Daniel so love getting involved with factionalising groups. Today, Ogun state House of Assembly is yet to reconvene because he is purpottedly backing a splinter group, now he is replicating same at the national level.Unfortunately his state lacks basic amenities, roads are failing,in security prevails yet the governor is struggling to be relevant.

Is he going to be made a fresh promise - since the one that was made earlier to win his support is now tasting like sand sand?