10 Governors Meet over Jonathan's Presidential Bid

Governor Olusola Saraki of Kwara State

 

Ten governors drawn from the South-south, South-east and North-central geopolitical zones rose from a meeting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital Saturday with a resolve to build greater national understanding, and the support base for President Goodluck Jonathan in his bid for the April presidential poll.

The governors, who also decried the spate of insecurity in some parts of the country, deliberated to foster unity and seek reconciliation among the perceived interest groups in the country.

Discussions were also held on other critical national issues bordering on fostering the country’s democracy, security, law and order, economic development and the need to unify the country behind the Jonathan presidential bid.

The meeting, which was a follow up to the first meeting held in Asaba, Delta State about a week ago at the instance of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, had in attendance the Delta governor, BabangidaAliyu (Niger), Timipriye Silva (Bayelsa), Peter Obi (Anambra) and LiyelImoke (Cross River)

Others that attended the meeting include Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Theodore Orji (Abia), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), BukolaSaraki (Kwara), Gabriel Suswam (Benue) while Nassarawa was represented by the deputy governor.

Addressing the press at the end of the closed door meeting, Peter Obi said the meeting was a continuation of the earlier one held in Asaba, stressing that “the meeting was conveyed for the purpose of reconciliation.”

He added that the governors discussed issues of common interest, the need for greater dialogue, and the need to build and accommodate all in the present democratic dispensation.

Obi said the governors also discussed the recent violence in Borno State where a gubernatorial candidate and brother to the state governor were gunned down in broad day light along with five others on the street of the state capital.

He said the meeting was held in Kwara, a North-central state, in recognition of the state governor who is also the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.

His words: “Basically, this is a meeting of governors in a kind of what we call the reconciliation in our polity. The South-south and South-east governors met about a week ago and decided to consult round the country with our colleagues on how to stabilise the polity.

“We have commenced that from the North-west and we will move to the North-east and South-west all in a bid to reconcile the polity and ensure that the unity of the country is paramount in whatever we are doing.”

He described the meeting as a furtherance of the progressive roles of governors across the country, saying they will continue with the task.

He confirmed that the governors will be holding another meeting shortly and this will be expanded to include the North-west, North-east and South-west.

“Today,” Obi stated, “the South-south, South-east and North-central have met and spoken with one voice. That is dialogue and understanding. We also discussed the issue of insecurity in some parts of the country.”

Last Sunday, the governors of the South-south and South-east met in Asaba and came up with the Asaba Declaration where they restated their support for President Jonathan’s bid at the presidential election.

They had also pledged to work to foster democratic institutions and engender robust national dialogue and understanding.