NGF Chair: South-West Govs Endorse Fayemi, Dickson Insists On Slot For South

Barely few hours to the election of a new chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), the South-West Governors Forum has endorsed Governor Kayode Fayemi for the office.

Also, the Governor of Bayelsa State, and Chairman of the South-South Governors Forum, the Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson on Wednesday insisted that the slot should go to the South.

Dickson said next NGF chairman should come from the South with the end of the tenure of Governor Abdulazeez Yari of Zamfara State from the North.

As at 5pm, the PDP Governors Forum was meeting on who to choose between Fayemi and the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.

The election of the NGF holds by 8pm.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that different groups within the NGF had been holding consultations in the last 12 hours on Yari’s successor.

A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “By 8 pm, the NGF will meet to pick between Fayemi and El-Rufai. All the caucuses in NGF have been meeting including the APC governors who are trying to present a candidate.

“So far, the South-West Governors Forum has thrown its weight behind Fayemi for the office. Some PDP governors have also come out openly to back the Ekiti State governor.

One of the PDP governors is Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, who is also the chairman of the South-South Governors Forum.

Dickson called on the 36 Governors of the Federation to adhere to the principle of rotation in the election of a new leader for the Nigerian Governors Forum.

The governor said in a statement through his Special Adviser, Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, said the decision on who should be the next Chairman of the NGF should be guided by the time tested principle of rotation between the North and South.

He said the next chairman of the NGF should come from the South with the end of the tenure of Governor Abdulazeez Yari of Zamfara State from the North.

He said the PDP governors would not contest the position in consonance with the precedence that the NGF Chairman should be a ranking governor from the ruling political party.

He said the PDP Governors would not make any move to endanger the time honoured principle guiding the emergence of the chairman of the NGF.

He recommended that the new chairman should emerge preferably through consensus among the members of the NGF.

He said, “I am calling on the governors who would assemble today to take a decision on the Chairmanship of the Governor’s Forum to be guided by the time tested principle of rotation between the North and the South.

“Now that the Alh. Abdulazeez Yari, Governor of Zamfara State would be ending his tenure, we expect that the next chairman should come from the South.

“The precedence is that the ruling party produces the Chairman. The PDP Governors have no desire to be disruptive and expect that a ranking Governor from the APC, the party with the majority would be the next chairman.

He congratulated his Zamfara Counterpart on the successful completion of his tenure during which he collaborated with the FG to address a myriad of issues such as the refund of the Paris club money, and other issues affecting state finances.”

“I wish him the very best in the Senate, where he has been elected,” he added.