This much became viral discussion among
Nigerians both at home and in diaspora following the release of a 10-minute
video clip on the purported election online on Tuesday, May 28, 2013, just four
days after the election and forced some of the participating governors to open
the Pandora box of NGF into the public domain.
The Gov. Amaechi camp may have a firm grip of
original NGF secretariat at Asokoro Extension, Abuja, which made the Jang-led
faction to open another secretariat, situated at Maitama District of Abuja, but
what remains to be seen is whether Jang group will also open a parallel website
and the fate of current staff of NGF, even as Jang promised to resolve the
imbroglio.
It is imperative to note that NGF was
established on April 26, 1999, shortly after the election as a policy
think-tank and collation of the elected Governors of the country’s 36 States,
proceeded by a four-day inaugural meeting at the Federal Capital Territory
(FCT), Abuja, under the pioneer chairmanship of then Governor Abdullahi Adamu
of Nasarawa State.
Based on the principal organs, the Forum is the
coalition of the governors with a chairman and the secretariat headed by a
Director-General, who is assisted by two Executive Directors; one for Strategy
and Research and secondly, the Administration and Finance. NGF, is an
institution inspired by the United States-based National Democratic Institute
(NDI) in addition to the support of Canadian-based Forum of Federations (FF),
thus modeled after the American National Governors’ Association (ANGA).
However, the outcome of the alleged NGF
election, no doubt left the governors in the public eyes and political watchers
globally as questionable personae, especially with the increasing access to
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and particularly the
Internet, fueled by the side of the divide one belongs to.
At first, most Nigerians learnt about the
election outcome via the Internet and Blackberry broadcast before the emergency
press conference by the Jang camp obviously led by the Governor of Akwa-Ibom,
Dr. Godswill Akpabio, who doubles as the chairman, Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) Governors’ Forum. Although, before now NGF leaders emerge from consensus
until this election, which has been tagged ‘bad omen for 2015.’
It is evident that most Nigerians have
continued to access information, particularly as pertaining to the NGF
election, which has consistently received increased page views ever since the
Friday, April 24 alleged election cum consensus by the faction NGFs. This was
further escalated by the 10 minutes video clip of the election to an online
medium, Sahara Reporter, which showed how the election was allegedly conducted.
But, like the Governor of Ondo State, Dr.
Olusegun Mimiko and vice chairman of the Jang faction, insisted, the full
footage of that event should be released to the public by those who released
the 10-minutes clip, to probably show what transpired after the election, for
Nigerians to know exactly whether it was annulled and how the governors faction
decided to regroup and ensure that Gov. Jonah Jang of Plateau emerged.
By the accounts of Anambra State Governor,
Peter Obi who was the former vice chairman to Gov. Saraki of Kwara State, NGF
has never in the history of the forum had an election. Narrating how Gov.
Amaechi emerged chairman in Ilorin, Kwara State and he, Amaechi was selected
due to PDP overwhelming majority at the forum, contrary to NGF constitution.
“We just arrived there and they said that we
needed to have a new leadership. Everybody was like, it was going to be me
because I was the Vice based on the NGF Constitution .… It has always been
through consensus. When we agree, we agree. Initially what worked against me
was that they argued that I’m a non-PDP governor,” Gov. Obi explained.
One wonders, that if 35 governors cannot at
their levels of maturity conduct a peaceful exchange of leadership at this era
as supposed democrats, what becomes the level of leadership from 2015 upwards
which may be scary for the ordinary Nigerians?
Additionally, imagine in 10 years time, that is
in 2023, when most of them must have left offices and political scene; that is,
if they do not migrate to National Assembly as Senators, whether deliberately
or coerced and new generation of Nigerians studying history of their country
and civics come across this issue in a class discussion, probably with video
clip as obtained nowadays, how will these governors be perceived and the
reactions of their grandchildren who could be among the students cannot but be
imagined in embarrassment.
Yet, another question on the lips of the saga,
is who doctored the constitution to make room for a second term or re-election,
at what meeting and was it adopted as a working document before it eventually
went to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for filing.
Until these questions get answers and about
three-hour long footage of the alleged election is made public, invariably
online, the change of opinion concerning the NGF election and its leadership
and members by majority of Nigerians and world at large since we now live in a
global village still hold the so-called election as flawed.
It is important, therefore, to ensure that this
election does not draw back the progress made in the last 14 years of democracy
in Nigeria, even as some Nigerians have linked the NGF election quarrels to
2015 generation elections, yet the truth is that whatever transpired among
them, they must be mindful that smart devices come in different shapes, and not
just phones and history will judge them by these tools through the new media.
A good name is better than silver and gold.
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
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