* Declare support for Rivers Gov Fubara
Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) operating under the aegis of PDP Governors’ Forum, on Wednesday, rose from its meeting in Enugu State, accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal government of mismanaging the country’s economy.
The Forum, while taking a retrospective views of the affairs of the nation since the APC took over power in 2015, regretted that “the 16 years of tremendous development under the PDP-led Federal Government, during which the country witnessed single digit inflation, the establishment of the existing anti-corruption institutions and higher standard of living for every Nigerian has been eroded during the life span of the lacklustre APC-led Federal government.”
The PDP governors also took a swipe at the APC-led administration at the centre for foot dragging on the issue of minimum wage, reiterating that “Labour’s demand for a substantial salary raise is eminently justified and therefore commands the total support of the Forum.”
The Forum, however, cautioned that “While negotiations are ongoing, we appeal for restraint in both utterances and actions that could lead to the complete breakdown of law and order and ultimately, the collapse of the economy.”
On its forthcoming National Congress of the PDP, the Forum called fora Congress that would be “all-inclusive, transparent, fair and in strict compliance with the constitution of the party”, in the spirit of the founding fathers of the party who placed premium on internal democracy as the fundamental principle of the party.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting and endorsed by the Chairman of the Forum, Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State, reviewed the last week’s judgement by the Supreme Court, which granted full financial autonomy to local governments, stressing that it would continue to support the autonomy of the Local Governments as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
On the crisis in the River State chapter of the party, the Forum stated its resolve “to stand by His Excellency, Sir Sim Fubara, Governor of Rivers State; while at the same time employ wider consultations with stakeholders for a peaceful resolution and thus find a lasting solution to the crises.”
This was just as it called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to, in the conduct of the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State, “provide a level playing field that guarantees transparent, fair and unimpeachable elections as any act of bias will be totally resisted.”