Governors Urge Jonathan To Sack Orubebe, Gbagi, Others

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 19, (THEWILL) – Influential Governors of Nigeria's states have asked President Goodluck Jonathan to sack four ministers in his cabinet following their differences with the Governors of their home states.

The request is coming just after Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo was forced to resign as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following his battle with Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime over the control of the state executive of the party.

The Governors rose after a meeting at the Kwara State Governors’ Lodge on Tuesday night where they discussed various matters including sanctioning the decisions of the National Executive Committee (NEC) at its 56th meeting before heading to the villa to brief President Goodluck Jonathan of their decision.

The Ministers named include Elder Godsday Orubebe (Niger Delta); Mr. Kenneth Gbagi (Minister of State, Education); Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed (FCT) and Jubril Martins-Kuye (Commerce & Industry).

The Governors also asked Jonathan to remove the Bauchi born Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed following his disregard for the Governor of his home state, Isa Yuguda.

Orubebe and Gbagi are representing Delta State in the Federal Cabinet but belong to the Chief E.K Clark faction of the party. During the Delta State Governorship rerun, Orubebe deployed his resources for Chief Great Ovadje Ogboru, a candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), who eventually lost to Dr Uduaghan.

Gbagi on the other hand, has had a long-standing quarrel with the Delta State Governor since the era of the Chief James Ibori administration in the state.

The FCT Minister and Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda have also been at loggerheads following Bala Mohammed’s bid to challenge him for the Governorship at the PDP Governorship primary of the state.

Jubril Martins-Kuye and Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel also have their own issues with Jubril leading a faction of the party in the state.

It is unclear whether President Jonathan would oblige the governors.

Nigerian state governors have continued to remain the most powerful block in the nation’s politics, wielding so much influence because of their access to state funds.