By CHARLES IWUOHA

Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has reportedly been removed as Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), the umbrella body of state governors who belong to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The development came barely hours after Uzodimma spoke on behalf of APC governors during the submission of President Bola Tinubu's 2027 Presidential Nomination and Expression of Interest forms in Abuja yesterday evening, Thursday, Thursday, May 7, 2026.

Reports say that the decision was reached during an extraordinary meeting of about 20 APC governors held Thursday night at the Ogun State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

Governors from several states, including Ogun, Bayelsa, and Enugu, were reportedly in attendance at the high-level meeting. Six of the governors who attended the meeting reportedly joined by Zoom.

Uzodimma is said to have been removed as his colleagues have lost confidence in his leadership.

The forum is said to have penciled down possible replacements, with the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, at the top of the list.

However, in a swift reaction, the Director-General of Progressive Governors' Forum, Folorunso Aluko, dismissed the report, describing it as false and misleading.

He insisted in a statement that Governor Uzodinma remains the chairman of the forum.

According to Aluko, "No meeting of the forum was held at which any such decision was taken. The PGF Secretariat has no record of, and is not aware of any resolution removing Senator Hope Uzodinma.

"The forum remains United, focused, and committed of the party's faithful and the media are therefore advised to disregard the said report in its entirety.”