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The raging supremacy battle between two of Nigeria’s 36 state governors over the chairmanship of the country’s Governors’ Forum (NGF) has been taken to church, with both parties seeking to convince their pastors that they are the legitimate occupants of the position.
Both Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State and Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State (who was seeking re-election) are laying claim to the position since Friday’s disputed ballot in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. Amaechi claims to have won with 19 votes against 16 for Jang but 19 governors promptly disassociated themselves from him, saying they voted for Jang.
On his return to the North-Central Plateau State yesterday morning, Jang went straight to worship at the Faith-Way Chapel in the state capital, Jos, where he told the congregation of how he won the NGF election and received the pastor’s blessing after describing his election as an act of God.
“The position of the NGF was zoned to the ruling party PDP; the PDP Governors Forum unanimously adopted my name and the Northern Governors Forum gave their consent and approval to my name,” Jang said.
“I was surprised at the whole thing, and when I was wandering how, my mind took me back to my prayer during my devotion earlier in the morning and I said this is God at work, I am not even in the position to say no to the work of God. So whatever a man does, God will always have his way,” he added.
Meanwhile, in South-South Nigeria, Amaechi was worshipping at the Corpus Christi Cathedral in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, where he also told the congregation of how he won re-election and equally received his pastor’s blessing.
“Let me say to you, I am the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum,” he said, adding: “That we are not talking it’s because we have decided not to talk. They voted, we voted and we won. If they had won, I would have congratulated them.”
News Express reports that political analysts are eagerly waiting for Amaechi to call a meeting of the NGF after the first NGF meeting convened by Jang in Abuja on Saturday morning was attended by 18 governors.
•Photo shows a cross section of the 18 Governors that attended Jang’s inaugural meeting addressing the media . Saturday in Abuja.
