Jigawa Sate Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido,
on Tuesday said nine Peoples Democratic
Party governors voted for the incumbent
chairman of the Nigeria Governors'
Forum, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, at the June 4
election that later divided the forum.
Lamido gave a specific insight into what
happened during the NGF election while
speaking in an interview with the Hausa
Service of the Voice of America
monitored in Abuja, on Tuesday
Speaking specifically about the election of
Ameachi as Chairman, NGF, Lamido said,
"I also voted for Ameachi. Look, in the
PDP, myself, the governor of Kano, the
governor of Niger, the governor of Kebbi,
the governor of Sokoto, the governor of
Kwara, the governor of Rivers, the
governor of Adamawa, nine of us PDP
governors voted for him.
"This election was for the NGF, not a
candidate for the PDP; there is nothing to
it."
In a veiled reference to the consensus
reached by the Northern Governor Forum
to present Governor Jonah Jang as
consensus candidate.
He said, "For one group to come and say
'this is your leader, let's present him to
the nation'. Things are not done like that.
People forget easily we are all reasonable
people and the PDP was founded by
reasonable people."
Lamido also took a swipe at the party's
leadership over the suspension of Sokoto
State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko.
While describing the suspension of
Wamakko by the Bamanga Tukur-led
National Working Committee as reckless,
he said leaders needed to be circumspect
in taking decisions.
He said, "Any reasonable politician, who
has foresight, knows that doing anything
that will cause trouble for party members
or bring confusion, a leader should avoid
it.
"The suspension of Wamakko was a
mistake that shows a lack of leadership.
Secondly, there was recklessness because
what was his offence?
"The truth is Bamanga Tukur was
defeated in Bauchi or was he not
defeated during the zonal elections in
Bauchi? He was defeated, not so?
"Myself, Wamakko, the governor of Kano
and others came together and said what
they (North East) did was wrong, so we
will not agree; let us go for an election.
"The North East said its consensus
candidate was Babayo. Bamanga Tukur
was brought to us at the convention and
we elected him, even from this, you have
your answer (about the NGF election)."