Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State has accused the Federal Government of using financial inducement to divide the rank of state governors.
He made this view known yesterday at the inaugural meeting of the state’s peer review mechanism held with the state executive council in Kano.
According to Kwankwaso, the governors were interested in closing ranks once more but the interference from the Federal Government was dividing them.
Since the controversial chairmanship election of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, in May 2013, the governors have been divided into camps deemed anti-FG and pro-FG. The former is led by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State while the latter is led by Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State.
Kwankwaso noted that “It is the interest for all governors to come together but the only issue is that the government at that level – the federal level, is not interested in allowing governors to come together.
“I think they have so much to benefit by dividing us. I think that is the issue, otherwise we had an election, we had the governor of Rivers who had 19 votes and another governor had 14 votes but because of their understanding of democracy they refused to recognise the winner, they recognised the loser.
“That has always been the problem, and unless that it addressed I am sure governors will find it difficult to come together, especially all those that are in that group – the group of 16 benefited with N2bn to each. Our own money was given to them free of charge. All of us who are on this side were given nothing. That has not been fair, that is not even correct, that is an illegal”, he said.
He added: “That is the difficulty we are having in coming together, otherwise all of us have so much to benefit, especially on issues that concern the governors”.
In his opening remarks, the Director General, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr. Asishana Okauru, pleaded with the governors to reunite.
“I would like to seize this opportunity to appeal to you and your colleagues (the 36 state governors in Nigeria) to quickly resolve your differences and come back together under the NGF platform. A lot of grounds have already been lost”, he said.
