The race for the chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has assumed an interesting dimension as the battle is now being hinged on a power rotation arrangement rooted in the 2027 presidential election permutations, THISDAY has learnt.
THISDAY gathered that the Governor of Imo State and Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma; the Governor of Ogun State and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Dapo Abiodun; and the Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji; are the top contenders in the race as the southern governors are said to be clamouring for the position to shift to the zone to boost President Bola Tinubu’s re-election chances.
The governors had during the May 2013 re-election battle of former governor of Rivers State, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, as the chairman of NGF, which badly divided members, passed a resolution on a two-year term for its chairman, which stipulated that the re-election of its chairman would no longer be automatic.
This decision followed the unpretentious interest of the presidency under the then President Goodluck Jonathan, who was bent on having an NGF chairman that would be loyal to it since the period of four years was a long time to have an “opposition personality” in that office.
