Jang cannot lead Nigeria Governors Forum because he is Jonathan’s man – Nyako The Adamawa governor visited the president in Abuja. The Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, has publicly given the reason why majority of governors opposed Jonah Jang’s ambition to lead the Nigeria Governors Forum. Mr. Nyako said Mr. Jang, the Plateau State Governor, cannot lead his colleagues because he is President Goodluck Jonathan’s ‘yes man.’ The Adamawa governor stated this while answering questions from journalists at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan. He, however, refused to disclose the details of his meeting with Mr. Jonathan. He said the NGF’s guideline had clearly stated that the chairman must be someone who would speak on behalf of all governors neutrally. “We have already in the governors’ forum established certain criteria for leadership within us. He must be somebody we trust. I would like to have a leader of the forum who when he is with the president in the small room talking about Adamawa state can put in a word for Adamawa State. It should not be someone who will aggravate issues in the eyes of Mr. President. That element of trust must be there. If I vote for somebody, it must be somebody I could trust. “We also said it should be somebody who has some degree of chemistry with the president that the president will be comfortable with. Now if we find that the president is not comfortable with him, can we do a little bit of psychological work to get the two of them to have the same chemistry? “The other one we feel is that he should add some value to Mr. President. If you have a forum leader who is seen to be part of the president that has become a yes man of Mr. President then the governors will say he is not representing our interests. If he is not representing the interest of the governors he is not representing the interests of the ordinary Nigerians. These are areas we have sorted out. Obviously if the chemistry is still not right we should discuss it and find a way of adjusting the tempo, the countenance, the language of the subordinate,” he said. Mr. Nyako also reacted to demands that both Mr. Jang and the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, step down from the position; saying “You are saying Jang should step down, step down for what? Did he win the election?” Mr. Jang had lost the NGF chairmanship election to Mr. Amaechi by 16 votes to 19. He, however, rejected the result and has since led a breakaway faction of the forum. The Adamawa Governor also confirmed that he and other Northern governors discussed the NGF crisis with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in their meeting with the ex- leader. “It was part of it but you should understand the rationale. What we are saying here is that if he (Mr. Jang) is going to step down because he is second winner, then that is their business and it is not the business of others or the winner to tell you step down. He is number two, he got the second highest votes and that is the way forward. Step down for what? From number two to where? Number three or of four?” While speaking on the series of meetings being held to resolve the crisis within the PDP, Mr. Nyako said, “In a democracy when you have an issue you discuss. The election in the governors’ forum has become an issue. It shouldn’t not be an issue. “When you say 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 even someone who is in elementary school knows which a higher. If one group got 19 votes the one got 16, in democracy even in the eyes of the People in elementary school they know that 19 is higher than 16. It should not be turn into controversy. What could be related to that is that it could not be the figure. We could all agree that whoever got the highest figure won the election but maybe the figure”.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 20:18:00 +0000
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