Former governors of the opposition party have cried out over abandonment by their successors since they assumed power.
Former governors and deputy governors who were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party have said their successors relegated them to the background once they won elections in their various states.
To this end, they are considering forming a forum of former governors and former deputy governors to fight their cause. This was discussed when the former governors and deputy governors met with the party’s National Chairman, Senator Modu Sheriff, at the national headquarters in Abuja.
Some of the former governors present at the meeting were Babangida Mu’azu (Niger), Ramalan Yero (Kebbi), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Ikedi Ohakim (Imo), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Abdulkadir Kure (Niger), Idris Wada (Kogi), Achike Udenwa (Imo), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Theodore Orji (Abia), and Sule Lamido (Jigawa). The former deputy governors present included Iyiola Omisore (Osun) and Etuk Effiong (Akwa Ibom).
Backing the former governors and deputy governors on their claim, Sheriff said, “As a former governor, I know what a governor goes through to win elections. You are the leaders of the party.
Backing the former governors and deputy governors on their claim, Sheriff said, “As a former governor, I know what a governor goes through to win elections. You are the leaders of the party.
"Incumbent governors are also leaders too. Former governors must be carried along. They must be involved in all the affairs of the party so that we can get it right.”
Meanwhile Dr. Sam Egwu, who spoke on behalf of former South-East governors and deputies, hailed Sheriff saying, “This meeting has shown that the party has not forgotten those that started the party. Most of us were in the meeting that marked the beginning of the PDP. But the convention in Nigeria is that the moment you are out of office, you are forgotten. Former governors that we helped put in office forgot us. It was like frustration for most of us. But because we believed in the party, we stayed back.”