The governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, has emerged as the acting chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
Mr Tambuwal was appointed the NGF chairman at the meeting in Abuja according to statement by the Forum said.
He will be in office till May next year when a new chairman will be elected.
He will replace Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State whose tenure as governor ends on 16 October.
Until his appointment, the Sokoto Governor was the deputy chairman of the forum. He is also the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum.
Read the statement below:
The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State Dr John Kayode Fayemi, today at the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, held at the Aso Rock Villa Abuja transferred power of the NGF to the Governor of Sokoto State, Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
Tambuwal has served meritoriously and harmoniously as Vice Chairman of the Forum under Dr Fayemi in the last four years.
Dr John Kayode Fayemi who was only a few weeks ago elected as the President of the Forum of Regional and State Governments in Saidia in the state of Casablanca in Morrocco attended the NEC virtually from New York City, where he is currently attending the United Nations General Assembly meeting.
The Sokoto State Governor will be holding fort until May next year when a proper election is conducted among the governors.
Before making the announcement, the Ekiti State Governor acknowledged the result driven output of the NEC and thanked his colleagues and other members of the council for their support, explaining that yes, we may be occasionally troublesome, coming from the Forum of Governors, and we do test your patience but you have never really expressed any frustration with all our truculent questions and the insistence that the federation must be a true federation.”
The new President of the FORAF also did not forget to thank the Secretariat of the NEC and through the NEC thanked the President and Commander in Chief of the Country for taking the resolutions of the NEC seriously by implementing them.
In his response the Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo said the NGF chairman had taken the wind out of their sail, because he was “meant to, on behalf of the NEC commend the Ekiti Governor and NGF Chairman’s informed and patriotic services to the council in the last four years and that was enhanced by your chairmanship of the NGF, admitting that the NGF has ensured that we move to a true federation, not just in words but in deeds as well.”
Professor Osinbajo prayed that Dr Fayemi’s services both nationally and globally to development, and to all of the good which the nation deserves and the global community deserves will continue.
Dr Fayemi formally hands over the Chairmanship of the NGF to Rt Hon Amuinu Waziri Tambuwal on the October 16th.
