NGF: Jang Knows He Did Not Win Any Election – Amaechi

Rivers State governor and chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) Chibuike Amaechi said there was the need to uphold democracy in the country where aspirants should simply accept victory or concede defeat, saying that Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang knew that he did not win the NGF election. Amaechi, who stated this yesterday when a delegation of the Senators’ Forum of Nigeria visited him at Government House, Port Harcourt, thanked the senators for intervening in the crisis rocking the NGF, describing them as patriotic. He said: “I thank you for coming. It shows how patriotic you are, that you think that anything that will scuttle democracy or affect the progress of democracy in Nigeria must be addressed. You are not under any obligation to sort out anything happening in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. “I thank you for visiting my friend, the governor of Plateau State. Like you know, he did not win the election and if he was sincere he should have confessed to you that he did not win the election. “I hope that when you visited him you encouraged him to uphold democracy because democracy is about elections and it is about a party accepting victory and another party accepting defeat and working together for the progress of the institutions for which they have decided to compete or contest to administer.” Earlier in his speech, the acting chairman of the Senators’ Forum of Nigeria, Senator John K. Brambaifa, said they took up the peace initiative because of their concern about the current political developments that threaten national polity. Brambaifa said: “Accordingly, we deem it pertinent to seek your kind permission to intervene for quick resolution of disputes that are likely to threaten our national polity and peaceful co-existence. “You will recall that the Senate and indeed the National Assembly had cause in the past and, even more recently, to intervene on some issues and challenges to our national unity, growth and development. “The Forum, in discharge of its mandate, had resolved to consult major stakeholders in the country with a view to strengthening and consolidating our democracy. It is in the light of this resolve that the Forum, through our letter dated August 21st 2013, wrote seeking audience with your Excellency to discuss matters of urgent national importance, with a view to bringing down the political tempo and douse the tension.”