Olushola Omogbehin
The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), has splitted into two groups between Governors Hope Uzodimma on one hand and his Ogun and Kwara States counterparts, Dapo Abiodun and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq leading another faction.
The rift began on Thursday night when some members of the forum met at the Ogun State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja and announced Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State as the new leader of the group.
It was gathered that about 20 APC governors attended the closed-door meeting, including governors from Ogun, Bayelsa and Enugu states.
This division emanated after Uzodimma had spoken on behalf of APC governors during the submission of President Bola Tinubu’s presidential nomination and expression of interest forms in Abuja.
However, PGF Director General Folorunsho Aluko had moved swiftly on Friday morning to douse the tension, flatly denying that any resolution to remove Uzodimma was ever passed.
“No meeting of the forum was held at which any such decision was taken. The PGF Secretariat has no record of, and is not aware of, any resolution removing the chairman,” Aluko said in a statement.
“His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma, remains the chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum,” he declared, adding that the forum “remains united, focused, and committed to its responsibilities.”
Reacting to this, Uzodimma subsequently called an emergency meeting of the governors on Friday afternoon at the Imo Lodge in Abuja.
Describing this as leadership coup, about Eighteen governors have passed a vote of confidence on Hope Uzodimma and outrightly dismissed the rumour of his replacement.
After the closed-door meeting, they all reaffirmed their support for Uzodimma’s leadership.
The meeting was attended by governors from Ebonyi, Borno, Lagos, Ondo, Kaduna, Taraba, Sokoto Kogi, Kano, Yobe, Taraba, Kebbi, Benue and Jigawa states and Nasarawa.
