•Tinubu (C) and some APC governors
An attempt by some state governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors to remove their Imo State counterpart, Hope Uzodimma as chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has hit the rocks.
This follows the intervention of President Bola Tinubu in the disagreement that triggered the revolt against Uzodimma, reports The Nation.
Eighteen of the 31 APC governors yesterday met in Abuja and passed a vote of confidence on the Imo State governor, only 24 hours after some of the governors claimed they had replaced Uzodimma with Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah.
Physically present or represented at yesterday’s meeting to give backing to Uzodimma were the governors of Lagos, Kaduna, Borno, Ebonyi, Kogi, Kano, Taraba, Yobe, Sokoto, Kebbi, Benue, Jigawa, Ondo, and Nasarawa, among others.
They dismissed as unfortunate misinformation, reports of factionalisation of the PGF.
Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris, who moved the motion for the vote of confidence, insisted that the status quo remains unchanged.
“We don’t have any problem to justify what [the media] have said,” Idris stated.
He subsequently moved “ a vote of confidence on our chairman and his Deputy, Governor Hope Uzodimma and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna remain the Chairman and the Deputy of the forum respectively.”
The deputy chairman of the forum and Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, expressed dismay over the reports of a leadership vacuum.
He said the APC governors have never been more aligned.
His words: “The truth of the matter is that the APC Progressive Governors Forum is very united. We’re stronger now than any other time. We want to assure everyone that the governors are united, the forum is united, and there is no problem at all.”
He further emphasised that the group’s primary focus remained backing the presidency and ensuring the success of the administration’s policies.
Responding to the show of support, Governor Hope Uzodimma dismissed the speculation of disunity as a distraction. He noted that the PGF was strictly focused on performance and the party’s upcoming primaries.
“Governors of the Progressive Congress are all united and resolved to support Mr. President and to ensure that he comes out successfully during the upcoming elections by January 2027,” Uzodimma told reporters.
The chairman added that the forum’s resolution centered on delivering “social interventions that make Nigerians happy” rather than internal power struggles and deliver President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Reports late on Thursday said APC governors during an ‘extraordinary meeting ‘ resolved to replace Uzodimma with Mbah after passing a vote of no confidence on the Imo governor.
The ‘extraordinary meeting’ reportedly took place shortly after Vice President Kashim Shettima submitted President Bola Tinubu’s presidential nomination forms.
Governors who allegedly voted against Uzodimma at the Thursday meeting were those of Adamawa, Zamfara, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa, Benue, Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau, Enugu, Ebonyi, Ogun, Borno, Taraba, Katsina, Kebbi, and Kano states.
In a swift reaction to the first report, the Director General, Folorunso Aluko, said that no such meeting or resolution had taken place.
He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the Progressive Governors Forum states categorically that the report is entirely false, baseless, and without an iota of truth.”
“The PGF secretariat has no record of, and is not aware of any resolution removing the Chairman. His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, remains the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum.”
It was gathered yesterday that the governors’ soft pedaling on Gov.Uzodimma was on account of the intervention of President Tinubu.
