On Monday, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun was elected Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum. Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, was elected as the Vice Chairman.
The Southern Governors’ Forum is the umbrella body for the 17 governors from Nigeria’s South-West, South-South, and South-East geopolitical zones. Abiodun succeeds the late Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), the former governor of Ondo State, who passed away in December last year.
The meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, was attended by several governors: Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Charles Soludo (Anambra), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Alex Otti (Abia), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), and Bassey Otu (Cross River).
Deputy governors represented three states: Imo State Deputy Governor Chinyere Ekomaru represented Governor Hope Uzodimma, Delta State Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme represented Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and Ondo State Deputy Governor Olayide Adelami represented Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa. Rivers State was the only state without a representative, as neither Governor Siminalayi Fubara nor his deputy attended the meeting.
The governors held a closed-door meeting that lasted about five hours at the Presidential Lodge in Abeokuta.
After the meeting, Abiodun expressed his gratitude and described his election as an honor he deeply appreciates. He said, “I first want to thank all the governors, the 17 governors, for coming to Abeokuta today for this meeting, the first in about three years. It underscores the commitment and determination to ensure that the southern states occupy their pride of place.
“I also want to thank them for the confidence they have reposed in myself and Prof. Soludo. We pledge to justify this confidence.
“We discussed a wide range of issues, but due to time constraints, Governor Soludo and I will make the details of our communique available to you newsmen, reflecting our aspirations, determination, and the new and repositioned Southern Governors’ Forum,” Abiodun added.
