Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
- April 25, 2023.
Governors Babagana Zulum and Mai Mala Buni of Borno and Yobe states are being rated among the 36 governors to lead the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).
The valedictory meeting of the Governors, slated for today (Wednesday) in Abuja will enable them elect their leader of the Forum.
Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, is the current Chairman of the NGF in the country.
Zulum and Buni chances to win the Chairmanship of the forum, are based on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) producing the highest number of Governors in the incoming administration of Sen. Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
“This qualifies APC to produce the NGF new Chairman, while the People’s Democratic
Party (PDP), will produce the Deputy Chairman of the forum,” disclosed Prof. Ibrahim Umara of the Department of Political Science, University of Maiduguri.
He said that of the 28 Governorship elections contested on March 18, 2023 general elections, APC won in 16 states or 57 per cent of the states.
According to him, PDP had 10 States with the Labour Party (LP) having one, while the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) won in Kano State.
The ruling party had seven Governors re-elected including Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), and Babagana Zulum (Borno).
The APC also secured wins for nine new Governorship candidates comprising Uba Sani (Kaduna), Bassey Otu (Cross River), Mohammed Bago (Niger), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto), Dikko Radda (Katsina), Hycinth Alia (Benue),
Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi) and Dr. Nasir Idris (Kebbi).
Umara added that three PDP Governors, Ahmadu Fintiri (PDP), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) were also re-elected during the Governorship and House of Assembly elections, while seven others are first-term Governors.
He said the first-time governors comprised Kefas Agbu of Taraba state, Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Umo Eno (A’Ibom), Siminialayi Fubara (Rivers) and Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta state.
“PDP’s Dauda Lawal unseated Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, while Abba Kabir is the new elected Governor in Kano state.
In the domination of representation at the Forum, he said: “In 36 states, APC has 20 governors to PDP’s 13.
“APGA, LP and NNPP has each a new Governor. Traditionally, the Chairman emerges from among the Governors of the majority party, APC.
“The new Governors are, however, ineligible to vie for the Chairmanship of the Forum based on their inexpediences of running the affairs of the people.”
He noted that the Chairmanship also rotates between the North and South parts of the country.
According to him, it is expected that the next Chairman of the forum will come from the North.
The former Chairmen of the NGF included Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar (2015-2019), Chibuike
Amaechi (2011-2015), Bukola Saraki (2007-2011) Lucky Igbinedion (2006-2007), Victor
Attah (2004-2006) and Abdullahi Adamu (1999-2004).
Political analysts and commentators from the Northeast region also disclosed that Buni or Zulum of Yobe and Borno states are therefore tipped to lead the forum, as from tomorrow (Wednesday) after their valedictory meeting.
The emergence of either Zulum or Buni could be the strong support enjoyed from both the ruling party and the 36-member Forum.
