The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Partyis in a dilemma on what to do to governors who refused to vote forGovernor Jonah Jang during the NigeriaGovernors’ Forum election.
Investigations by our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday showed that since the outcome of the election, which showed thatthe Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, was re-elected as the chairman of the Forum, both the PDP and the Presidency had yet to get the names of those who voted against Jang.
Jang, the preferred candidate of the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan for the office, was defeated by Amaechi.
While Jang scored 16 votes, Amaechi garnered 19 votes.
But on Tuesday, the Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, opened upon the list of the governors he said refused to follow the path laid by the PDP, as they voted for Amaechi.
Lamido said nine PDP governors voted for Amaechi at the June 4 election that later divided the forum.
Apart from himself, those he listed as voting for Amaechi were “the governorof Kano, the governor of Niger, the governor of Kebbi, the governor of Sokoto, the governor of Kwara, and the governor of Adamawa.”
He defended his position and those of others by saying that the NGF election was not meant to be a PDP affair.
Lamido said it was wrong “for one group (PDP) to come and say ‘this is your leader, let’s present him to the nation’.”
Lamido’s revelation was said to have rattled the Presidency and the leadershipof the PDP.
However, investigations by our correspondent showed that both organs did not know what to do with the affected governors.
A Presidency source said both the Presidency and the party had been investigating those behind the disobedience, which he said was very embarrassing.
He said it was unfortunate that Lamido could also have the “temerity” to own up to his and co-travellers’ alleged anti-party activities.
But when contacted, the outgoing National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, refused to speak on whether the party would take a disciplinary action against the affected governors.
Metuh said, “I would not want to make any comment on the NGF. Whatever happened there is the business of the governors and not that of the PDP.”
Culled: Punchng
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