Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso yesterday joined the bitter row over the Nigerian Governors Forum(NGF) leadership saying, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi will not surrender his mandate.He also said the PDP leadership has refused to convene the party’s National Executive Committee to look into members’ complaints. Kwankwaso, who spoke with a group of reporters at the Kano Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, said the G-19 voted for Amaechi after obtaining a commitment from him that he would not give up under any circumstance.

“This party belongs to all of us, it does not belong to the governors; it doesn’t belong to president or it doesn’t belong to the party chairman; it doesn’t belong to anybody.“We have invested so much in this party, I don’t think any governor is thinking of leaving this party but if you are suspended, dismissed or expelled, of course there are no options.“That is why we are saying, and I can assure you, all the governors who voted for Amaechi consider this suspension as suspension to all of us; not to Amaechi, not to Governor of Sokoto. We are even surprised it started from there. I think there are bigger fish than Amaechi and Governor of Sokoto. Many of us are disappointed that it started from there. Kwankwaso went on: “On this issue, we entrusted Amaechi with only two tasks. One is campaign, talk to the opposition because it is Nigeria Governors’ Forum; it is not PDP Governors Forum. Talk to them because you are the candidate; talk to them, probably it may suit them to vote for you. The second option is, hang up to the contest; can you hold it? He said ‘yes’. “Now, I can tell you, Amaechi cannot withdraw without our approval. Anybody who is saying Amaechi should withdraw is wasting his time because that is not in the agreement between us and Amaechi. We gave only two tasks to Amaechi and he did well.

“The problem we have in the party now is that we don’t have anywhere to go and say our minds and that was why our founding fathers of this party say in the constitution that at least, every three months we should meet. These are the issues. We should communicate among ourselves and that is the only way but the time we start washing our linens outside, then it becomes a disaster.”

In his view, Amaechi’s election showed that the 16 governors backing Jang do not know the art of politics, contrary to their posturing, adding that the NGF crisis might lead to the emergence of two big parties. Kwankwaso warned the PDP leadership against reckless recourse to suspension or dismissal of governors. He said with the suspension of Amaechi and Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State (Wamakko suspension was lifted yesterday), all the PDP governors backing the Rivers State governor had been technically suspended by the party.

Kwankwaso said: “Let me say that we are Northerners and I think we should be consulted on what we need. Some people have decided that we should take chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum. That is not our choice; we know what we want from the politics of this country and even if that is what we want, we are not expecting anybody to choose for us. We should choose for ourselves. I think that point should be clarified.

“Along the line, some people suggested that PDP should have a leadership. Many people thought that there is a linkage between the NGF election and the appointment of the PDP Governors Forum and, of course, we had Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum and we met as the PDP Governors Forum immediately after the appointment of the chairman.“Let me say that at that meeting, we made it clear that we were determined to ensure democracy in this country.“If there is no democracy in the Governors Forum, I begin to wonder where we can have democracy in this country and many people don’t understand how angry many people are. Many people here in Abuja don’t understand how committed we are to ensure democracy in this country.

“So, we decided to stick to our gun – that many of us have got grandchildren now. I have two grandchildren in primary school now and no grandfather can go and choose a friend for his children. You only see your children’s friends and when you do, you ask: who is your father? They will tell you and he may be your enemy or friend. It is very difficult to tell your child that the father of your friend is my enemy. And it is better for a good father or grandfather to keep quiet because the more you tell them – that your grandfather or your father is their enemy – the more they stick to their friends because they would not understand what you mean by that.

Kwankwaso condemned interference in NGF affairs by some forces in Abuja, especially the PDP leadership.
He predicted that the NGF crisis may lead to emergence of two big parties in the country. He said: “I want to say that those living in glass houses should not be throwing stones, especially when it comes to suspension, dismissal, impeachment, these are words that people should be cautious about. “We want peace, we want stability and we want development in this country. All these things that are happening, I think you should not worry too much because in developed democracies around the world, in America, Germany, Britain, everywhere, developed world, you have two major parties.

“Nigeria, we have one party now and other small, small parties. Who knows, maybe we are having transition in this country of two parties and before we have two parties, some people must make mistakes, big, big mistakes.” He said the pro-Jang governors became desperate about removing Amaechi and forced the NGF to postpone the election twice. Kwankwaso explained how he nominated Jang as a strategy to show that some of the G-16 governors are novices in politics. “Because we realised that they were very desperate and that even when we did the election and they were defeated they will not accept, we decided to deny them of their first choice, second choice and any choice at all. We gave them who will feel should be the minority leader of G-16.

What they want is power shift to the North. Jonathan faces disgrace at PDP Presidential Convention. The Northern Governors hold the ticket to the number of delegates needed to secure PDP ticket. Mark my words!

“They refused to take us seriously that Ameachi should continue. They thought they could play games and, you see, when we left the place, they went and had a meeting and accepted our nomination and at the end of the day, they brought him to the general meeting of the Nigerian Governors Forum and at that Forum, we told them that Amaechi should continue as our chairman. They made all efforts to frustrate voting, saying that there should not be voting. We said: ‘Why should there not be voting? This is a democracy’.


“They were hell-bent in removing Amaechi and we were also determined to ensure that our friend, whoever, he is among the 36 governors, is the chairman of our Forum. That was how we brought all the ballot papers and the box (the one we are familiar with from INEC) and there was an election; 35 of us who were there voted, and it was counted 35. Only the governor of Yobe was absent. All of us were present. At the end of the day we counted 35 ballot papers and when they were separated, Amaechi had 19 and the other 16.”


Kwankwaso said he warned Governors Ibrahim Shema and Isa Yuguda that they could not win the NGF poll. He added: “During the meeting of the PDP Governors Forum, we decided to call the Northern Governors Forum, we all sat down at the Governor’s Lodge. “At that meeting, the issue of Shema came up and I told Shema that ‘look, my brother, I was terribly disappointed in you that you are my neighbour, my friend and you are my brother, you never came to tell me that you are contesting election and you are parading yourself, looking like somebody who was being sent to us. “I told him clearly that I would never vote for him and I will never ask anybody to vote for him and I would make sure that he lost that election and I even told him to go and withdraw. Other governors supported me. Sule Lamido was there; he supported me. Isa Yuguda was there; the Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, supported. Those who supported me asked Shema to go and withdraw.


“ Unfortunately, some people took that opportunity to go and say that Shema did not have the North to support him. Later, Shema was dropped and they brought Isa Yuguda. Isa came to me and I told him that ‘look, I am still a villager and I behave in many ways as a villager and in my village, Kwankwaso in Kano, if a councillor goes to a family and says I am contesting to be a councillor and they accept it, when somebody comes in the afternoon, they will tell him that you are too late. I told him that you are late.

“Let me also correct the impression that many people thought that I did not really like Shema; it is not so. in that particular instance, we did not want Shema because we wanted to choose our own chairman.“With Yuguda, they came through the same route and I advised him, ‘you must not do that; if you do that , you will fail’. When he insisted, of course, he was in my house, I did not want to go as hard as I did with Shema. I told him ‘we will see; let us see how it will go. “Now, you see on Friday, on the day of the election we went to the Chairman of Northern Governors Forum, it was all politics all through.


“Some people were determined to ensure that Ameachi did not win the election and we were determined to prove to them that nobody can shave our heads in our absence.“A situation where our colleagues were going round Abuja, they were abusing us, telling us all sorts of things, I don’t think that is acceptable and that was why we proved to them that they were at the elementary level of politics.

“By the time we went to the Niger State Governor’s Lodge for the meeting of the Northern States Governors Forum, the question was: was anyone of them ready to step down for the other? Neither of them was ready to step down for the other.
“When the issue of electing somebody to replace the two(Shema and Yuguda) of them that was when the politics came in. It was very clear to the two of them and our position was very clear to all governors either in the North or in the South – that we were determined to elect the NGF chairman of our choice but everybody was playing games and politics and what we did in the Niger State Governor’s Lodge in selecting Jang as a consensus candidate was to show them that they know very little about politics.


“One, we decided to say they cannot get Shema as the chairman of the minority group of the G16. We also said you cannot even get your second choice (the Bauchi State governor elected) and our group decided, under my leadership, to give them Jang as their leader. I nominated Jang. I gave them Jang and I asked the Governor of Benue, Gabriel Suswam, to support me and many people supported me.” On the withdrawal of Yuguda and Governor Gabriel Suswam from Northern States Governors Forum he said: “Maybe they are not Northerners, the interest of the North is bigger than the NGF. When people are angry, they should know what to say; they should not allow anger to lead them to say what may count against them tomorrow.”


Kwankwaso faulted the endorsement signatures being bandied about by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Godswill Akpabio. He said: “I was really shocked when the Governor of Akwa Ibom brought a paper that was signed in April. Initially, I was laughing, but when I thought of it deeply, it was very disheartening for a governor, especially somebody who is supposed to be our leader, someone who is supposed to be the chairman of PDP Governors Forum. He brought an old paper. Even that paper; many of them who signed were calling us to say they called them to sign. They have 19. They thought they defeated us.“What is important, I believe, in democracy is to appreciate the sanctity of ballot papers. I am the governor of Kano today by the grace of God. I got only 46 percent of the votes. The three major parties in Kano State (ANPP, ACN and CPC) shared 54 per cent. They went to court; they went everywhere. Now I am the governor.“You see it is very disheartening that all our governors will sit down in a hall, get ballot papers, vote, count the votes and somebody will say an old paper that was signed was an evidence of voting.

“The chairman of PDP Governors Forum; they way he brought that paper; the way he spoke, I think he should learn to talk. When you see him, you tell him to be talking like the chairman of the PDP because I am beginning to be ashamed if our chairman is behaving like that.“Like I said, we (Northern PDP governors) should decide on what we want. We are few in number; 15 governors. If there is anything, we should be given the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum.“Now that we have chairman of the PDP Governors Forum just saying his own, I think he should better keep quiet.
Kwankwaso added: “Quote me, tell him that we can also Janglize the PDP Governors Forum; we can also form a separate PDP Governors Forum.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/amaechi-wont-drop-ngf-mandate-says-kwankwaso/

sincerenigerian: What they want is power shift to the North. Jonathan faces disgrace at PDP Presidential Convention. The Northern Governors hold the ticket to the number of delegates needed to secure PDP ticket. Mark my words!

sincerenigerian, you have also janglised sincere9gerian?

With this interview, a lot has been achieved. There's no way Jang can be the chairman. Boys are not smiling!

Prof Corruption: With this interview, a lot has been achieved. There's no way Jang can be the chairman. Boys are not smiling!

Sincere9gerian was "janglized" because he is still at primary school level of politics. LOL!!


This Kwakwanso is as tough as nail. Look at how the smart guy outplayed the Jonadunce lapdogs. Kwakwanso waited for the right moment to let the whole world know what actually transpired before the NGF election took place.

Mark my word! The convention will turn out a disgrace for Jonathan. These guys are ready to float a party of their own, parallel to PDP.

A member of the G-9 that midwived the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, has described the PDP as a big political party with a weak leadership.

This is even as he insisted that Governor Rotimi Ameachi of Rivers State and not Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, is the authentic Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). He said if the PDP leadership has any problem with that, it should come to the NGF and say so.

Lamido made these known at the weekend in an interview on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Hausa Service, which was monitored by Daily Sun.

The governor, who was speaking for the first time since the NGF’s crisis broke out last month, also alleged that since Alhaji Bamanga Tukur took over as the National Chairman of the party, the leadership has continued to operate in illegality. According to him, both the Sokoto State and Rivers State governors still remain members of the party.

He said: “The present leadership of Bamanga Tukur has been operating in illegality. He has refused to convene a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting since he became chairman, whereas our party’s law says NEC meeting must hold at least once in three months.

“It appears there is a failure of leadership in the PDP. But I believe members of the party know their rights and they know what to do to protect the interest of Nigerians.

“At the grassroot level, the two governors (Amaechi and Wamakko) have the support of their people. So may be some day, the leadership of the party would realize their error.

“But since our party’s leaders do not operate in the interest of the PDP, those of us PDP governors still see Amaechi and Wamakko as members of the party and we are giving them all the necessary support,” Lamido said.

While insisting that notwithstanding current challenges of the party, it was capable of resolving the issue, the Jigawa governor further said “if leaders of the PDP do not agree with our election of Ameachi as the NGF chairman, it is their problem,” noting that the PDP leadership should visit the NGF and say why it does not want Amaechi.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/tukur-is-pdps-problem-says-gov-lamido/

Prof Corruption: A member of the G-9 that midwived the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, has described the PDP as a big political party with a weak leadership.

This is even as he insisted that Governor Rotimi Ameachi of Rivers State and not Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, is the authentic Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). He said if the PDP leadership has any problem with that, it should come to the NGF and say so.

Lamido made these known at the weekend in an interview on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Hausa Service, which was monitored by Daily Sun.

The governor, who was speaking for the first time since the NGF’s crisis broke out last month, also alleged that since Alhaji Bamanga Tukur took over as the National Chairman of the party, the leadership has continued to operate in illegality. According to him, both the Sokoto State and Rivers State governors still remain members of the party.

He said: “The present leadership of Bamanga Tukur has been operating in illegality. He has refused to convene a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting since he became chairman, whereas our party’s law says NEC meeting must hold at least once in three months.

“It appears there is a failure of leadership in the PDP. But I believe members of the party know their rights and they know what to do to protect the interest of Nigerians.

“At the grassroot level, the two governors (Amaechi and Wamakko) have the support of their people. So may be some day, the leadership of the party would realize their error.

“But since our party’s leaders do not operate in the interest of the PDP, those of us PDP governors still see Amaechi and Wamakko as members of the party and we are giving them all the necessary support,” Lamido said.

While insisting that notwithstanding current challenges of the party, it was capable of resolving the issue, the Jigawa governor further said “if leaders of the PDP do not agree with our election of Ameachi as the NGF chairman, it is their problem,” noting that the PDP leadership should visit the NGF and say why it does not want Amaechi.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/tukur-is-pdps-problem-says-gov-lamido/

This Northern boys are not smiling when it comes to what they want and what they believe in. I have always respected this Lamido. He was one of the Northerners who joined Abubakar Rimi to fight Abacha in the mid 90s. He was even locked up for few weeks for lambasting Abacha, he still wouldn't budge from what he believed in back then.

This is IT!

if amaechi holds on to the unrecognized madate, he be correct mumu

Dis is a superb expose on d actual happenings of d NGF election

I pity d internet toddlers,diaper-wearing 40 lapdogs who owing to d advent of smartphones n cheap 2nd hand laptops @ Otigba wud come here to say things dey do not kno

Wether u like or hate dem,we must all fear d North wen it coms to politics

The British really gave dem a head-start ahead of oda tribes n dey av really acquitted demselves very well in d art of politicking

The last election went d way it did cos Jonathan who is now living in denial had a gentleman's agreement wt dem to do only 1 term plus d remaining of Yar'adua's term which made dem hold off d rampaging Bull in Buhari

They rigged massively using all at dia disposal to curtail d humongous support GMB enjoys amongst d masses n knowing dat Jonathan has a sentimental advantage wt us in d south,he became a president

That was then,but GEJ by his body lang n desperation has shown dat he intends to do anoda term against d spirit n letters of dia agreement which even made Obasanjo his handler then to declare to our hearing @ during d 1st day of PDP's campaign @ Eagles square afta d primaries dat GEJ wil only do ONE TERM afta wc power wil revert back to d North while ab initio dey denied d existence of zoning in d party

Now d North wants back d presidency n dey av consistently show dat wen it comes 2d real battle dey always kno wat to do

Of course dia wil b few renegades n rebels like Shema n Yuguda(who thought Yar'adua wud live forever n quick went to marry his dghta) but dey wil live 2 face d consequence of dia action against dia people

GEJ has 2 options double up on yr deliverables 2 d rest of us or go out wt ignominy

The North has always been gentlemanly wen it coms 2 honoring political agreement cos dey av d population 2 always back it up! It is d rest of us who thru education n sophistication av created a mind of our own dat tend 2 split votes here n dia

4me n my haus,I rep change!

SLIDE waxie: if amaechi holds on to the unrecognized madate, he be correct mumu

who are you? What do you mean by the trash you just spilt. You and your criminal gangs in power do not know what morals is cause if you do then you will want to do what is right. Go and watch the video if the NGF election then come back and tell who the mumu is?

To be honest in political manoeuvring people like Gej,Akpabio and Jang are in primary level while Kwankwaso has proven that he is a master politician that should not be toyed with.

I nominated Jang. I gave them Jang and I asked the Governor of Benue, Gabriel Suswam, to support me and many people supported me.”

Mortal Blow!! So this guy sold a dummy to them? Na war ooooooooooo!

Osiris.211:



Mortal Blow!! So this guy sold a dummy to them? Na war ooooooooooo!

The guy is a master tactician in politics, he knows that jang the old fool is a bad product that will not sell. Gej take kwankwaso for granted at your own peril cos this is hatrick

REHOZIBAH: Dis is a superb expose on d actual happenings of d NGF election

I pity d internet toddlers,diaper-wearing 40 lapdogs who owing to d advent of smartphones n cheap 2nd hand laptops @ Otigba wud come here to say things dey do not kno

Wether u like or hate dem,we must all fear d North wen it coms to politics

The British really gave dem a head-start ahead of oda tribes n dey av really acquitted demselves very well in d art of politicking

The last election went d way it did cos Jonathan who is now living in denial had a gentleman's agreement wt dem to do only 1 term plus d remaining of Yar'adua's term which made dem hold off d rampaging Bull in Buhari

They rigged massively using all at dia disposal to curtail d humongous support GMB enjoys amongst d masses n knowing dat Jonathan has a sentimental advantage wt us in d south,he became a president

That was then,but GEJ by his body lang n desperation has shown dat he intends to do anoda term against d spirit n letters of dia agreement which even made Obasanjo his handler then to declare to our hearing @ during d 1st day of PDP's campaign @ Eagles square afta d primaries dat GEJ wil only do ONE TERM afta wc power wil revert back to d North while ab initio dey denied d existence of zoning in d party

Now d North wants back d presidency n dey av consistently show dat wen it comes 2d real battle dey always kno wat to do

Of course dia wil b few renegades n rebels like Shema n Yuguda(who thought Yar'adua wud live forever n quick went to marry his dghta) but dey wil live 2 face d consequence of dia action against dia people

GEJ has 2 options double up on yr deliverables 2 d rest of us or go out wt ignominy

The North has always been gentlemanly wen it coms 2 honoring political agreement cos dey av d population 2 always back it up! It is d rest of us who thru education n sophistication av created a mind of our own dat tend 2 split votes here n dia

4me n my haus,I rep change!

You are spot on! I lived in the North and Abuja for a while and I know these people very well. Northerners are not as stupid as many people in the South potray them to be. They are very smart when it comes to politics. Their silence is golden! What Kwakwanso did was tip of the iceberg. Wait till next year and see how they destroy Jonathan and Anehni. They are also underestimating Obasanjo at their own peril. Most of these Northern Governors are still loyal to Obasanjo because he rigged some of them into power.

It will be messy when it is all said and done.

Akpabio dat was vapurating like a bad loser,have see how kwaso mess him and d oga @ d top up.i advice Gej to hands up and sumit,because d game is over, he is a small boy,Gej surround himself with small boys like akpa,obi,jang and mimi,i pity children.

Kwankwaso has added a new vocabulary to English " JANGLIZE"

Meaning: to throw spanner into a work or to create a faction because you loose.

i am thriled by Kwank's guts. these guys have shown that they can't be pushed around and intimidated

HAH: Kwankwaso has added a new vocabulary to English " JANGLIZE"

Meaning: to throw spanner into a work or to create a faction because you loose.

Janglization is the noun

Kai!!, I bow to politicking!!, the guy knew Jang is a complete fool and sold him to others and all of them knowing they wont vote him when it matters, they must have also told Ameachi to insist on secret ballot system.

Jona-dumbo is really under-estimating these guys, they must have been laughing at his plane-grounding politics knowing the dumbo is just a primary school politician who providence once smiled on.

Akpabio and Jang should come out and tell us why only 16 of their 19 govs attended Monday's meeting.
As old as Jang is see as small boys use am play political football.
It is clear Akpabio has failed in the assignment given to him by Jonathan.

[size=18pt]“You see it is very disheartening that all our governors will sit down in a hall, get ballot papers, vote, count the votes and somebody will say an old paper that was signed was an evidence of voti[/size]