El-Rufai and Fayemi lead in race to become new Nigeria Governors Forum chairman

GOVERNORS Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State have emerged as the two contenders vying to become the new chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) when it reconvenes after May 29.

Serving as an advisory group to the federal government, the NGF is made of Nigeria's 36 state governors and is highly influential in national politics. Incumbent NGF chairman, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State is due to leave office on May 29 when his tenure expires, so the race is on for his replacement.

So far, only the two candidates have indicated an interest in the position but Governor Fayemi appears to be the favourite for the job as the position tends to rotate between the north and the south. Governor Yari is from the north and before him, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State in the south was the NGF chairman.

However, Governor El-Rufai is said to have insisted on getting the position and he is yet to agree to step down for any of his colleagues. Apparently, the NGF will elect its new chairman on May 22 in Abuja ahead of the last National Economic Council meeting for the outgoing governors on May 23.

Past NGF chairmen include governors Abdullahi Adamu of Nasarawa, Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom, Lucky Igbinedion of Edo, Bukola Saraki of Kwara Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara. One of the first things the new NGF will have to do is work out the modalities of paying the new N30,000 minimum wage and then it will have to also address the growing state of insecurity in the country as well as seek a new formula for the funding of the Universal Basic Education.

One north central said: “Many governors are interested in leading the NGF but the  intrigues have left  us with two choices  in El-Rufai and Fayemi. While some do not want El-Rufai for having his fingers  in too many pies, others feel  his closeness to President Muhammadu Buhari may add value.

Most governors in the opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are opposed to him and Fayemi is rated as a liberal leader who has built bridges across all parties. He is also regarded as a governor who has the ears of Buhari and members of his kitchen cabinet.

“I think most of us prefer Fayemi to El-Rufai whose leadership style can be likened to that of an headmaster. Fayemi is also an academic with an international profile but in politics, anything can change overnight."

He added that the NGF has never had a successful chairman like Abdulaziz Yari, who is a goal getter and bailed his colleagues out many times by sourcing funds from the president. According to the governor, the NGF will struggle to fill the vacuum left behind by Governor Yari.

“Governors across all parties were at home with Yari because he succeeded in persuading President Muhammadu Buhari in approving the release of almost N2tn to states, including the N713.7bn special intervention funds, the London-Paris Club refunds and other special funds. The Zamfara State governor might have security and political problems at home and he is probably in a tinder box in his state but he has offered leadership, which is acceptable to all governors across the parties in the country.

“I think he wields much influence in the presidency and he could assist a state at the press of a button. Most of us were surprised that he is having issues in his state.”