The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has replaced his Ekiti State counterpart, Kayode Fayemi, as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
Tambuwal assumed the position on Thursday at the National Economic Council meeting in Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, after Fayemi transferred the baton of office to him.
The Director of Media and Public Affairs of NGF, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, confirmed the change of baton in a statement on Thursday.
According to the statement, Tambuwal will be holding the fort until May next year when a proper election is conducted among the governors.
Before his new role, Tambuwal served as Vice Chairman of the Forum under Fayemi in the last four years.
The PUNCH had reported that Fayemi was recently elected as the President of the Forum of Regional and State Governments in Saidia in the state of Casablanca in Morrocco.
The statement read, “Before making the announcement, the Ekiti State Governor acknowledged the result-driven output of the NEC and thanked his colleagues and other members of the council for their support, explaining that yes, we may be occasionally troublesome, coming from the Forum of Governors, and we do test your patience but you have never really expressed any frustration with all our truculent questions and the insistence that the federation must be a true federation.”
“The new President of the FORAF also did not forget to thank the Secretariat of the NEC and through the NEC thanked the President and Commander in Chief of the Country for taking the resolutions of the NEC seriously by implementing them.
“In his response Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo said the NGF chairman had taken the wind out of their sail, because he was “meant to, on behalf of the NEC commend the Ekiti Governor and NGF Chairman’s informed and patriotic services to the council in the last four years and that was enhanced by your chairmanship of the NGF, admitting that the NGF has ensured that we move to a true federation, not just in words but in deeds as well.”
“Professor Osinbajo prayed that Dr. Fayemi’s services both nationally and globally to development, and to all of the good which the nation deserves and the global community deserves will continue.
“Dr. Fayemi formally hands over the Chairmanship of the NGF to Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on October 16th.”
By Idowu Abdullahi,
The Punch