Nine PDP govs voted for Amaechi – Lamido

Jigawa State Governor, Alh. Sule Lamido

Jigawa Sate Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, on Tuesday said nine Peoples Democratic Party governors voted for the incumbent chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, at the June 4 election that later divided the forum.

Lamido gave a specific insight into what happened during the NGF election while speaking in an interview with the Hausa Service of the Voice of America monitored in Abuja, on Tuesday

Speaking specifically about the election of Ameachi as Chairman, NGF, Lamido said,

“I also voted for Ameachi. Look, in the PDP, myself, the governor of Kano, the governor of Niger, the governor of Kebbi, the governor of Sokoto, the governor of Kwara, the governor of Rivers, the governor of Adamawa, nine of us PDP governors voted for him.

“This election was for the NGF, not a candidate for the PDP; there is nothing to it.”

In a veiled reference to the consensus reached by the Northern Governor Forum to present Governor Jonah Jang as consensus candidate.

He said, “For one group to come and say ‘this is your leader, let’s present him to the nation’. Things are not done like that. People forget easily we are all reasonable people and the PDP was founded by reasonable people.”

Lamido also took a swipe at the party’s leadership over the suspension of Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko.

While describing the suspension of Wamakko by the Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee as reckless, he said leaders needed to be circumspect in taking decisions.

He said, “Any reasonable politician, who has foresight, knows that doing anything that will cause trouble for party members or bring confusion, a leader should avoid it.

“The suspension of Wamakko was a mistake that shows a lack of leadership. Secondly, there was recklessness because what was his offence?

“The truth is Bamanga Tukur was defeated in Bauchi or was he not defeated during the zonal elections in Bauchi? He was defeated, not so?

“Myself, Wamakko, the governor of Kano and others came together and said what they (North East) did was wrong, so we will not agree; let us go for an election.

“The North East said its consensus candidate was Babayo. Bamanga Tukur was brought to us at the convention and we elected him, even from this, you have your answer (about the NGF election).”


-- Punch