Nigeria Governors Forum replies Wike after he called the forum a ‘beggars forum’

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has reacted to Governor Nyesom
Wike’s comment in which he described the forum as a ‘beggars forum’.

The Rivers state Governor had blamed the forum over the current
travail of the Governor Obaseki who has been enmeshed in a long drawn
battle with the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress,
Adams Oshiomhole.

In a statement released by the Commissioner for Information in Rivers
State Paulinus Nsirim, Wike accused the forum of complacency, failing
to intervene in the crisis and doing nothing during his rerun election
in 2019 even after he was exposed to danger following the withdrawal of
his security aides.

He said in a video shared on his Twitter page;

 “I told them then that what they were doing was wrong. Now they have
become a beggars Forum even when there are constitutional infractions.

“You can see that APC governors say that they are progressive. You
can see how progressive they are when they keep quiet when a fellow
sitting governor is disqualified from contesting elections.”

However reacting to Wike’ statement, spokesperson of the NGF
Abdulrazaque Bakindo accused Paulinus Nsirim of misinforming the
Governor. He affirmed that the NGF has six core mandate areas and
politics isn’t one of them.

Bakindo said;

“Governor Wike is an old member of the NGF and a strong one at that.
He could not have referred to the NGF as a Beggars Forum. Blame it on
the author of the release, Mr Nsirim the Information Commissioner in
Rivers State who couldnt distinguish between the NGF and the Progressive
Governors Forum which is the political platform of APC Govs. The NGF
has six core mandate areas and politics isn’t one of them.

“The NGF is happy to state that Gov Wike is one of its strong members
and has delegated his Deputy Gov to the Forum and she has never missed
any meeting.”