NGF: The seamy side of Jonathan’s administration

It looked like a war and true, it was. With every thing in its arsenal, the Federal Government stoutly rose against the re-election of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of  RiversState as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF.

In some quarters, it was tantamount to killing a fly with a sledge hammer.  But when the election finally held on May 24, 2013, like the proverbial cat with nine lives, Amaechi against all odds, intrigues and permutations came out tops, winning the office for a second term. In this special piece, Saturday Vanguard documents opinions on the kudos and vexations that have  continued to trail the election vis-à-vis its effect on 2015 general elections.

SENATE PRESIDENT DAVID MARK; PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN AND THE PDP NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, ALHAJI BAMANGA TUKUR AT THE PDP FAMILY DINNER IN ABUJA ON THURSDAY

He is such an uncanny politician. And in some weird impressions, it has appeared as if his political fortunes are  almost, always secured only through the hard way.

That is the lot of Rotimi Chubuike Amaechi, the Executive Governor of RiversState. He has had to face hurdles after hurdles in his determination to rise in what could be referred as the murky clime of Nigerian politics. But like the late literary Icon, Professor Chinua Achebe, there are those whose palm kernel has been cracked by their chi (god).

Apparently, it would not be out of place for one to say that Amaechi is familiar with the skewed political system and terrain of  the country given the circumstances that brought him to the  seat of power in Port Harcourt as Governor in 2007.

Amaechi had been duly nominated by his ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the candidate in RiversState  gubernatorial election in 2007, but against all intents and purposes, his candidacy was swiftly dropped in a controversial circumstance and Mr. Celestine Omeha was dusted in his stead.

It took Amaechi a hard prayer before the Supreme Court to get his candidacy restored in the later part of 2007 after the general elections had held and the tenure had taken off. And with the judicial pronouncements by the Justices at the Supreme Court that Amaechi was wrongly substituted and as such should serve as the bonafide candidate of PDP in the election in the judgment, Omeha was sacked while Amaechi was crowned the Governor.

Yet again, the exit of Senator Bukola Saraki as Governor of Kwara State and Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), in 2011 created a vacuum.

To fill the blank space, the 36 Governors of Nigerian federating states chose Amaechi who many believed that his experience as the Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislators of Nigeria having presided as the Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker for 8 years would pay off in the Chairmanship of NGF. And true to reasoning, Amaechi while his first tenure lasted between 2011 and February 2013, displayed unfettered leadership qualities which analysts  say perturbed and seemingly irked some powerful quarters.

These quarters believed that certain matters like the Sovereign Wealth Fund shouldn’t be challenged by the Governors. And so, to get at the Governors, their head was targeted. And that is Amaechi.
The Formation of NGF

Like every other association in a democratic setting, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, was formed at the dawn of  1999. It is a conglomerate of Nigerian Governors across the 36 states of the federation. Its membership is automatic upon an election of an individual into Governorship office of a state.

Though it is not recognized by the Constitution of Nigeria, it is such a platform where Governors meet to cross-fertilize ideas on issues of governance. At its beginning, the association was not seen to be politically persuasive but as the practice of democracy in Nigeria permeates; NGF also, naturally assumes more powerful stance in the polity that successive Presidents especially first timers now entertain palpable fear that their second term is determined by the association.

Meanwhile, since 1999, the Forum has produced four successive Chairmen thus: former Governors Abdulahi Adamu, Victor Atta, Bukola Saraki and currently Chibuike Amaechi. In the reckoning of many analysts, the Forum might not have witnessed the seasons of political storms as it is undergoing now due to incessant clashes of interests between the Presidency and the leadership of the Forum.

The first crisis

An all time crisis obviously hit the Nigerian Governors Forum in February 2013 when an alleged renewed effort to boot out Amaechi reached its apogee. Many people considered the crisis artificial and so pointed accusing fingers at the  Presidency.

Then, elections to get new leadership of the group at the expiration of Amaechi’s first term had been contemplated but got scuttled on the way. Instead, it produced another group called the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDPGF) led by Godswill Akpabio, the Akwa Ibom State Governor whose sole responsibility was to wrestle power from Amaechi. Since then, peace has eluded the Forum as the Presidency was alleged to have launched unusual attacks on Amaechi in a bid to stop his re-election as the Chairman of the Forum. Meanwhile, given both the political and security circumstances of that time, the election was postponed to May 24, 2013.

Events before the May 24, 2013 elections

A plethora of events which had their roots on the NGF election sprouted up. One  interesting thing therein was that Amaechi and the Presidency were the dramatis personae. With this, almost all Nigerians
insinuated that Amaechi’s dilemma was artificially created.

Grounding of Amaechi’s aircraft, his re-election and why he won

The reality of Amaechi’s re-election at a point became unfathomable by the Presidency. Not even a few persons were skeptical of his success given the heavy high-wired politics that played against it. But that was the greatest undoing of the Federal Government which later gave an easy ride to Amaechi. In fact, there were these perceptions that if the NGF election were to be a public election with a general franchise, Amaechi would as well win. The reason was not far-fetched.

The Federal Government move that grounded Amaechi’s aircraft, the seizure and the subsequent subtle move to impeach him coupled with various outbursts from President Jonathan’s apologists such as Ahaji Dokubo-Asari generated huge sympathy for Amaechi from many Nigerians which included the Governors. To the people, the move amounted to killing a fly with a sledge hammer.

First, the Federal Government orchestrated his ousting as the Chairman of the NGF. Second, it facilitated the formation of PDPGF led by Amaechi’s arch rival and Jonathan’s stooge, Governor Akpabio of AkwaIbomState.

Third, it grounded RiversState plane owing to controversial reasons of aviation rules. All these, analysts said garnered support for Amaechi who eventually pulled 19 votes to floor the 11th hour Jonathan’s candidate and Plateau state Governor, Mr. Jonah Jang who got 16 votes in the NGF election on May 24, 2013.

The second mis-step of the Presidency in the series that facilitated the defeat of its candidate was its own erratic and irrational choice of candidate. From Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina,  to Isa Yuguda who were being projected, the Presidency finally wobbled to a stop at Jang. The outcome of their erratic behavior finally dawned on them when the Director-General of the Forum, Asishana Okauru announced Amaechi the winner of the election.

Unusual kicks by Pro-Jonathan’s Governors

It was tantamount to spilt milk, put in another parlance, medicine after death, the hurried drama that greeted Amaechi’s victory as put up by the Governors loyal to the Presidency. Led by Governor Akpabio, the governors after the scales had fallen off their eyes rejected the re-election of Amaechi and projected Jang as the new elected Chairman. Hear Akpabio: “We are rejecting the declaration of Amaechi as winner, because he cannot preside over an election that he is a candidate.”

Also, while rejecting the outcome of the election in a briefing, Jang insisted that he is the winner, adding that there was no way Amaechi could have won the election because 19 governors have earlier endorsed his (Jang’s) candidature. In fact, the pro-Jonathan’s Governors had literally announced a plan to set up a parallel Secretariat at Maitama area of Abuja as a way of starting off. But to most people, that is one ridiculous step that caused a smear on the part of the governors.