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By Femi Bolaji, Jalingo
Governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have called on President Bola Tinubu to prevent his administration’s officials from making derogatory remarks that could be seen as attempts to discredit state governors.
The Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Bala Mohammed, expressed this concern on Friday in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, during a meeting that was attended by nine governors.
He stated, “The Forum is concerned that instead of reviewing macroeconomic and social policies to make them more humane, the Federal Government has resorted to tactics of blackmail.”
“We urge the President to demonstrate statesmanship by curbing his officials from engaging in blame games that unfairly criticize state governments by highlighting minor interventions that do not address the broader issues.”
“We stand resolutely with the suffering Nigerian people and will continue to take all legitimate actions to ease their hardship.”
Additionally, the PDP governors reaffirmed their support for Rivers State Governor Siminalaye Fubara and condemned any intimidation of PDP supporters in the lead-up to the Edo governorship election.
“The Forum is troubled by the political stalemate in Rivers State, where court rulings are being used to determine the outcomes of party congresses,” Mohammed continued.
“The PDP Governors’ Forum stands firmly with the Rivers State Governor and will work with the National Working Committee (NWC) of our party to revisit the congress to rectify the situation, ensuring that Governor Siminalayi Fubara assumes his rightful leadership role within the party in the state.
“Regarding the upcoming Edo governorship election, the Forum condemned the President’s statements that suggest an intention to influence the election in favor of his party and criticized the intimidation of PDP supporters by the Nigeria Police. The Forum called on the Inspector General of Police to ensure that law enforcement officers act impartially.
The Forum also expressed concern over the Federal Government’s failure to differentiate between its revenue and that of the Federation, which should be allocated according to existing laws.
“We call on the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Accountant General of the Federation to adhere to the law, particularly sections 162 (1) (2) (3) of the Constitution. The Accountant General of the Federation should act in accordance with the constitution, rather than like the Accountant General of the Federal Government.”
“The Forum also advocates for the separation of the roles of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Accountant General of the Federal Government.”
The PDP Governors also acknowledged the end of the #EndBadGovernance protests, which had the potential to escalate into a national crisis. They praised the PDP governors for managing the situation in their states with maturity, thereby preventing the protests from being hijacked by criminals.
“The Forum reaffirms that peaceful protests are an inalienable right of citizens to express their genuine grievances.”
“We extend our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives during the protests and urge the Federal Government to ensure fair and swift trials for those who were arrested.”
The meeting was attended by Governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Caleb Muftwang of Plateau State, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, and the host governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas of Taraba State.
