MY PRIORITY AS CHAIRMAN OF PDP GOVERNORS FORUM--MIMIKO

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has said it will engage the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) constructively to ensure that the principles and tenets of democracy are adhered to, strictly.
New chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, stated this in an interview with newsmen shortly after he was elected as chairman of the forum Wednesday morning at  a meeting of the PDP governors held in Abuja.
“We the PDP governors will do everything that we can do to engage the Presidency and the APC in a very constructive manner. We have also agreed to create formal and informal mechanisms of pair review all in the interest of our nation,” he said.
Mimiko had in October 2014, dumped the Labour Party (LP) on which platform he was elected governor, to the PDP.
Similarly, governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, who addressed newsmen after the meeting which ended at about 12 midnight (Wednesday) said the forum condemned the relocation of electoral tribunals in three states to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
“The forum of PDP governors unanimously elected Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State as the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum. We condemn in very strong terms the relocation of election tribunal in Rivers State, Taraba State and Akwa Ibom State to Abuja,” the governor said.
PDP governors who attended the meeting were Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, Capt. Idris Wada (Kogi), Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba).
The deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral John Jonah, represented the state governor at the meeting.
The governors, however, did not state reasons for the absence of some of their colleagues at the meeting who were Governors Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State, Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta and Professor Ben Ayade of Cross River State.
Similarly, some of the governors left before the prolonged meeting ended, saying they were having other official engagements and state matters.
While congratulating President Muhammadu Buhari on his election as Nigeria’s President and the new leadership of the National Assembly, the PDP governors also commended former President Goodluck Jonathan for his display of peaceful disposition after his defeat in the general elections which they said has stabilised the political landscape.