Kwara State's Governor Abdulrazaq looks set to declare his interest in becoming NGF chairman

GOVERNOR Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State has thrown his hat into the ring as the contest for the leadership of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) looks set to commence immediately after May 29.

Over the years, the NGF has grown to become a veritable platform for influencing the federal government and seeking to harness the collaborative efforts of the states.  As a forum for governors of the 36 states of the federation regardless of political affiliations, it offers an avenue for them to meet, deliberate and speak with one voice on matters of public concern.

With a fresh wave of governors due to be sworn-in on May 29, the NGF will elect a new set of leaders, with the old forum having already having held a valedictory meeting. NGF tradition has been that its chairman has to be a returning governor who had served out his first term of four years.

There is also the tradition of rotation between the north and south of the country, which has always been respected to maintain geo-political equity and balance. Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State was the last NGF chairman, so the position will go to one of the second term All Progressives Congress (APC) governors.

As of today, the ruling APC has 20 states under its control including new, existing and returning governors. Within the party's ranks, there are five returning governors from the north who are Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (Kwara) and Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa).

A spokesman for Governor Abdulrazaq said: "All of these APC governors are eminently qualified and competent to hold the position of the NGF chairman. However, there are other important factors I believe colleague-governors and stakeholders should take into consideration in rallying support for any of them.

"Given the current political mood of the nation where stakeholders across parties are agitating for fairness and sense of belonging for every region, the result of which we got in the 2023 election, it would be gratifying if their search is narrowed to the north central zone. The northeast has already produced the vice president, which is a top office.

"While Governor Zulum is eminently qualified, he might have to contend with the reality that the vice president-elect Shettima is from his state. Governor Buni has held the position of APC chairman concurrently with governor in the outgoing dispensation, so stakeholders may wish to try new hands.

"More so, there is the feeling of marginalisation in the north central zone given that they have not been able to produce either the president or the vice president since the beginning of the fourth republic. It is only politically correct that this region is placated with other top positions in the country."

He added that with the current power play and permutations for the National Assembly leadership, it is almost not likely that the  north central geo-political zone would get either the senate president or the speaker position. If the NGF chairman is then zone to the north central zone, the choice will be narrowed down to governors Abdulrazaq and Sule.

According to the spokesman, in the just-concluded election, Kwara State asserted the popularity of the APC by not only delivering the presidential election with a landslide but also delivering all the National Assembly seats for the ruling party. He added that also, prior to prior to the elections, Governor Abdulrazaq mobilised 100% delegate support for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the APC primaries.