The race for the chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has assumed an interesting dimension as the battle is now being hinged on a power rotation arrangement rooted in the 2027 presidential election permutations, THISDAY has learnt.
THISDAY gathered that the Governor of Imo State and Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma; the Governor of Ogun State and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Dapo Abiodun; and the Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji; are the top contenders in the race as the southern governors are said to be clamouring for the position to shift to the zone to boost President Bola Tinubu’s re-election chances.
With the politics of the 2027 election showing different tendencies, the clamour to have a southern governor head the NGF has gained momentum as part of the efforts to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Nevertheless, there is a growing speculation that the current NGF Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulrahman AbdulRasaq, whose two-year tenure ends this June, is unwilling to schedule a meeting this month for an alleged fear of members requesting an election.
AbdulRasaq will be two years in office this June and will have completed one term as NGF chairman.
Though a majority of the governors from the south were said to have initially conceded the position to the governor of Lagos State, his now frosty relationship with the president is believed to have truncated this plan.
Tinubu’s cold relationship with the governor of his home state, Sanwo-Olu, became public knowledge when the president ignored the governor at a recent public function by refusing to shake hands with him.
It was gathered that it is against this backdrop that Sanwo-Olu may no longer be in contention.
But the other governors are said to be mobilising support already, preparatory to the next meeting of the NGF this June, where another chairman is expected to emerge from the south.
Uzodimma, a second-term governor and unrepentant backer of Tinubu, has been everywhere in the last few months canvassing the president’s re-election.
He first mooted the idea of Tinubu’s endorsement at the meeting of the progressive governors before it was sealed at the party’s summit soon after.
Abiodun is another second-term governor, considered a perfect fit for the job. His choice is believed to be instructive given the proximity of Ogun State to Lagos and could also enhance mobilisation.
Oyebanji is one of the most favoured for the job, given his calmness and leadership disposition.
He is likely to emerge as the first governor of Ekiti State to win his re-election back-to-back as a result of his performance and ability to manage both man and material resources effectively.