The defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan’s candidate for the chairmanship position of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau state by his Rivers state counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi was again reaffirmed today with the boycott of the inauguration of Mr Jang’s faction by Vice President Namadi Sambo who has been touted will chair the occasion and 20 out of the 36 governors in the forum leaving the Plateau governor with only 16 governors who actually voted for him at the NGF poll.

Amaechi had last friday defeated Jang by 19 votes to 16. At today’s opening of the Jang’s faction secretariat in Abuja, only 16 governors attended the opening of the factional office located at Nana Close, Maitama area of Abuja. Today’s attendance tallies with the result of last Friday’s election. The claim by the Jang group that no election held has also been nullified with the release of a video recording of the election.

The event which was scheduled to commence at 4pm today could not start until 5.30 local time even as Vice-President Namadi Sambo who was officially announced to unveil the secretariat was nowhere near the venue of the event as findings later revealed that the number two citizen was out of the country on an official assignment engagement.

All the 11 governors on the platform of the new All Progressives Congress, APC, being formed by the Action Congress of Nigeria, the All Nigerian Peoples Party, the Congress for Progressive Change and a faction of All Progressive Grand Alliance led by Imo state governor Rochas Okorocha were absent. The other faction of APGA led by the Anambra state governor, Peter Obi however attended.

Fourteen governors on PDP platform were present while nine were absent.The governors in attendance were governors of Delta, Kogi, Ondo, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Cross Rivers,Katsina Abia, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Gombe, Plateau, Anambra, Bayelsa States as well as the acting governor of Taraba and deputy governor of Gombe. PDP governors who shunned the event include those of Kwara, Niger, Jigawa, Kano, Adamawa, Enugu, Sokoto, Kebbi and Rivers States.

Speaking at the event, Jang said “We have secured this neutral secretariat, because we don’t want to work under the influence of any governor. But I am assuring you that we are working hard to reconcile with one another.” His Bayelsa counterpart, Seriake Dickson also said ” NGF doesn’t exist to promote somebody’s ego and personal interest. It is a non-partisan body to foster development. We are moving forward, poised for a new beginning. NGF isn’t a tool for antagonising the presidency and it shouldn’t be for opposition politics to project alternative government.”

The 16 governors were said to have proceeded from the venue to the presidential villa to meet their factional leader, President Jonathan.