Aliyu flays plot to cage govs

Babangida Aliu

Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu on Monday blamed the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party on the attempt by the Presidency and the party leadership to “clip the wings” of some governors.

Aliyu said, “The forum  (Nigerian Governors’ Forum) is an association registered by Corporate Affairs Commission; it is not a union. Anybody, who thinks whether at the party level or at the presidential or other levels, that he can clip the wing of governors, I think, is wasting his time.”

The governor stated this when he received PDP secretaries from the northern states in Minna on Monday.

Aliyu, who advised those trying to reduce the stature of governors, to desist from doing that, noted that the NGF remained a “force” in the party.

He added, “We know what happened at our congress, we know what we do to produce the leadership of the party at the national level and the governors were used to achieve this mission.

 “If you want to clip, remember there would be 2015, if you clip now, you will be clipping your own wing and not the governors’ wings.

“We must strengthen the Governors Forum to ensure good governance. In the forum, we do not discuss who will be what; rather we dwell on matters that will benefit the nation.”

Aliyu, who told the secretaries and members of the party not to be discouraged, insisted that the forum was beyond destruction.

The governor said, “Nobody will kill the Governors’ Forum, it is a spirit, so no matter what happens, nobody will kill it.

“Do not be worried about either Northern Governors or South-East Governors or any other group, they will all be subservient to the main Governors’ Forum no matter what happens during our election.

PUNCH