Govs to IBB, A’Salami: Help save democracy

Governors Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) travelled to Minna where they joined their Niger counterpart Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu for the meeting with the retired generals.Governor Aliyu said they decided to consult with the former leaders on matters of national concern, including the stalemate in the Nigerian Governors Forum and […]

Governors Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) travelled to Minna where they joined their Niger counterpart Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu for the meeting with the retired generals.
Governor Aliyu said they decided to consult with the former leaders on matters of national concern, including the stalemate in the Nigerian Governors Forum and the political crisis in Rivers State.
A source close to one of the governors said during the closed-door meeting that lasted nearly two hours, the governors told the former heads of state that democracy was being threatened especially regarding the apparent attempts to remove Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
They also cited the split in the governors’ forum, following Amaechi’s election victory, as an ominous signal ahead of 2015 general elections.
The four governors therefore urged Generals Babangida and Abdulsalami to help out in the efforts to save the nation’s democracy.
The meeting in Minna, held at the state presidential lodge, was a follow up to a visit at the weekend to former President Olusegun Obasanjo by Lamido, Kwankwaso, Wamakko and Adamawa Governor Murtala Nyako.
Governor Aliyu, who spoke to journalists on behalf of the visiting governors yesterday, said they were into consultations with leaders and elders across the country with the aim of finding solutions to the political upheaval currently facing the country.
“We are consulting with our elders and our leaders at least to look at some of the problems and solutions to the problems some of us perceived we are facing,” Aliyu said.
“Solution to governors forum crisis, political issues that have come up, and we are consulting to make sure that we all understand the issues and we also carry our people along as we go.”
Asked if Rivers crisis was among the issues discussed, he said, “There is no issue in Nigeria that Rivers’s crisis will not come up, but it is a larger issue on the governors forum, we are discussing on how to resolve them.”
He said Nyako, who was on the team that visited Obasanjo but not in Minna yesterday, sent in an apology because he had Cameroonian visitors to receive in Yola.
“We have tendered his apology. He has an arrangement with Cameroon on electricity and they are visiting him in Yola. So he had to go back quickly,” Aliyu said.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, General Babangida described the governors as real patriots.
“I just want to commend the governors with some of their colleagues. I am very impressed because they have seen the problem of this country as our problem and they have taken a right a step to make sure they have consulted widely in trying to find solution to some of the nagging problems. They are real patriots,” said Babangida, who arrived at the venue at about 12:25 pm alongside Gen. Abubakar.
There are reports that the group of governors plans to visit several other leaders, including retired General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, over the political crisis.
When asked where their consultation ship plans to berth next, Governor Aliyu said, “We will consult as a group on where we are going to.”
Another issue believed to be nagging the governors is the crisis in the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which they consider being hijacked by Presidency’s foot soldiers.
The five governors are among those previously reported to be considering defecting from the PDP, but they have denied this.
Speaking to the BBC Hausa radio yesterday, Nyako, who reports said is planning to defect to the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), said the national leadership of the PDP was suffocating the party to death.
He said “we are going wait in the party till its last day and if there is no change from Abuja, no politician will remain in the party.”