Tinubu Steps In as APC Governors Back Uzodimma

President Bola Tinubu has intervened in the leadership dispute within the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), following attempts by some governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to remove Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as chairman of the forum.

The intervention appears to have halted the move, as 18 APC governors met in Abuja on Friday and passed a vote of confidence in Uzodimma and the forum’s deputy chairman, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani.

The meeting came a day after reports emerged that a group of governors had replaced Uzodimma with Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah during what was described as an “extraordinary meeting.”

Governors present or represented at Friday’s meeting included those of Lagos, Kaduna, Borno, Ebonyi, Kogi, Kano, Taraba, Yobe, Sokoto, Kebbi, Benue, Jigawa, Ondo and Nasarawa states, among others.

Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris, who moved the motion for the vote of confidence, dismissed reports of division within the forum.

“We don’t have any problem to justify what the media have said,” Idris said, before affirming that “Governor Hope Uzodimma and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna remain the chairman and deputy chairman of the forum respectively.”

Governor Uba Sani also denied reports of a leadership crisis, insisting that APC governors remained united.

“The APC Progressive Governors Forum is very united. We’re stronger now than at any other time,” he said.

He added that the governors were focused on supporting the Tinubu administration and ensuring the success of its policies.

Responding to the endorsement, Uzodimma described the reports of disunity as a distraction from the forum’s priorities.

“Governors of the Progressive Congress are all united and resolved to support Mr President and to ensure that he comes out successfully during the upcoming elections by January 2027,” he told reporters.

Uzodimma said the forum was more concerned with governance and policies that would improve the lives of Nigerians than internal political disputes.

The controversy began after reports on Thursday claimed that some APC governors had passed a vote of no confidence in Uzodimma and resolved to replace him with Governor Mbah.

The reported meeting allegedly took place shortly after Vice President Kashim Shettima submitted President Tinubu’s presidential nomination forms.

Governors said to have backed the move against Uzodimma included those of Adamawa, Zamfara, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa, Benue, Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau, Enugu, Ebonyi, Ogun, Borno, Taraba, Katsina, Kebbi and Kano states.

However, the Director-General of the PGF, Folorunso Aluko, rejected the report, describing it as false.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Progressive Governors Forum states categorically that the report is entirely false, baseless, and without an iota of truth,” Aluko said.

He added that the PGF secretariat had no record of any resolution removing Uzodimma as chairman.

Sources familiar with developments said Friday’s show of support for Uzodimma followed Tinubu’s intervention in the dispute.