Nine governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party were absent at the Bauchi Governor’s lodge, Tatari Ali House in Abuja on Thursday when their colleagues met under the aegis of the PDP Governors Forum.
The forum, however, expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will do justice in Zamfara and Plateau states governorship election cases.
The PUNCH reports that the Plateau State Governorship Appeal Panel sacked the state governor, Caleb Mutfwang and the Zamfara State Panel ordered a rerun in three local government areas of the state.
Those absent at the meeting include: Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde
Others are Taraba State Governor, Kefas Agbu, Adamawa State Governor, Amadu Fintri, Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah and Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Zamfara, Enugu, and Osun state governors were represented by their deputies.
When asked why most of the governors stayed away from the meeting, the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed said, “We at least constitute a quorum, we are not divided.”
Mohammed, who read the communiqué after the meeting said the meeting reviewed the recent judgments of the Court of Appeal concerning governors of various states and noted the mixed outcomes.
He said, “As a forum, we once again re-state our overall confidence in the judiciary to do justice. We believe that the Supreme Court will do justice in the cases where we recorded temporary setbacks like Zamfara and Plateau states.
“The meeting also reviewed the off-season elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states. We support the decision of INEC to investigate the allegation of the existence of pre-filled result sheets even before elections started in some places to ensure the confidence of the people in the electoral process.:
He continued, “On the national economy, the meeting urgently requested the Federal Government to prioritise the introduction of a new Revenue Allocation Formula that gives more money to states and local governments to enable them to meet their increased responsibilities.”
