Amaechi Snubs Akpabio At PDP Meeting

The cold war between the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Amachi and his counterpart of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Godswill Akpabio, played out at meeting of governors of the ruling party  in Abuja last night. At the end of the forum’s meeting which lasted for over three hours, Akpabio came out to address waiting journalists.Akpabio called some of the governors for recognition but when he requested Amaechi to step forward, the latter remained in the background and refused to move forward.

Akpabio kept saying “where is Amaechi; please step forward” but without response from Amaechi who kept away from the briefing. To avoid further embarrassment  Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue state sidled up to Akpabio  and requested him to proceed with the briefing even without Amaechi. Briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, Akpabio said the forum received interim report of the reconciliation committee earlier set up to resolve the PDP crises in the southwest.

He also said the forum received another interim report of the security committee earlier set up under the chairmanship of Adamawa state governor, Murtala Nyako.

The governors’ forum, created many years ago, is lately seen by the leadership of PDP and the Presidency himself as a platform being used to undermine the interest of the ruling party with the active support of opposition governors in the forum. It is rumoured that Amaechi is planning to run as vice president to Jigawa state governor Sule Lamido in 2015 general election. President Jonathan himself is keeping his option open as regard to 2015, hence the crisis in the PDP.

Governors in attendance at include those of Rivers, Niger, Katsina, Taraba, Abia, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Delta, Bayelsa, Plateau, Cross River, Kogi, Benue, Adamawa.