I'm NGF Chairman with 19 over 16 ––Amaechi Warns Presidency

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has warned the Presidency to dissociate itself from the utterances of its officials which he said is capable of causing disaffection among governors in Nigeria.

“It is certainly rude, uncharitable and nonsensical for Gulak, an appointed aide, to derisively refer to elected governors as ‘Amaechi Governors Forum’. Gulak and his co-travellers in the Presidency must be told in unambiguous terms that the Governors’ Forum is an internal business of governors and who becomes their chairman can only be determined by the governors alone. 

“It is a known fact that in the election for chairman of NGF held on May 24, Governor Amaechi got the mandate of the majority of his colleague-governors to continue to serve as their chairman when 19 governors voted for him as against 16 that voted for Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang. We know that 19 is always greater than 16."

Gov Amaechi said the Presidency must desist from misleading Nigerians, saying there is only one leader for the 36 governors. He added that his re-election as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) was accepted by majority of the governors.

The governor was reacting to statements credited to Ahmed Gulak, the Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Goodluck Jonathan, referring to governors as "Amaechi Governors Forum".

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, David Iyofor, Governor Amaecchi said Gulak’s ignorance of basic democratic tenets could damage the credibility of the Presidency and make it a body that lacks respect for people’s mandate.

He added: “But for the Jonathan Presidency, according to Gulak, 16 is greater than 19. We, like most Nigerians, are further saddened that the likes of Gulak in the Presidency are so ignorant and totally bereft of substance that they lack the capacity to comprehend the quantum of damage their comments do to the President."