EXCLUSIVE: Division rocks Progressive Governors’ Forum

By Raphael Jackson –

A leadership crisis has reportedly erupted within the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), the umbrella body of governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A faction within the forum was said to have claimed that the chairman of the PGF and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, had been removed from his position.

Sources disclosed to Western Post that the meeting where Uzodimma was allegedly removed took place at a location in Abuja on Thursday night. It was also gathered that efforts to remove Uzodimma as chairman of the forum had been ongoing for some time.

The group behind the move was reportedly led by the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun. However, some governors were said to have rejected the development, insisting that the meeting where the alleged removal took place was not properly convened.

The disagreement has reportedly deepened divisions within the forum, although there has been no official statement from the PGF leadership as of the time of filing this report.

The development is reminiscent of the crisis that rocked the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in 2013 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

At the time, then Rivers State Governor and incumbent NGF chairman, Rotimi Amaechi, was re-elected chairman of the forum with 19 votes, defeating then Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, who secured 16 votes. Jang was widely regarded as the candidate backed by former President Jonathan, and the election was seen as a proxy battle between Amaechi and the Presidency.

Following the outcome, governors loyal to Jonathan rejected the result and split the forum into two factions, with Jang emerging as chairman of the splinter group despite Amaechi being recognised as the winner of the election.