Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma on Friday night presided over a meeting of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), just hours after 20 of his fellow All Progressives Congress (APC) governors passed a vote of no confidence on him and resolved to strip him of the chairmanship of the forum.
The 20 governors had, at an extraordinary meeting held Thursday night in Abuja, accused Mr Uzodinma of financial impropriety and loss of confidence in his leadership. They also resolved to install Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah as the new PGF chairman.
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Two APC governors, who spoke separately to PREMIUM TIMES, confirmed the resolution, insisting that, as far as they were concerned, Mr Uzodinma had been removed and Mr Mbah was the new chairman.
The governors raised concerns over Mr Uzodinma’s leadership style, alleged financial mismanagement, and his failure to render satisfactory explanations to accusations levelled against him.
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However, despite the resolution against him, Mr Uzodinma on Friday night posted photographs on X showing him chairing a PGF meeting alongside his deputy and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani.
“During our deliberations, we reviewed the progress made so far and further strengthened our strategic engagement ahead of our party primaries and the 2027 Presidential Election,” Mr Uzodinma said in a statement accompanying the photographs.
He added that the governors at the Friday meeting unanimously reaffirmed their endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid.
“As leaders, our responsibility remains to continue working together in unity, deepen the structures of our party, and remain focused on delivering hope, stability, and sustainable development for the Nigerian people,” he wrote.
However, an analysis of the photographs shared on X reveals a conspicuous absence: most of the 20 governors who voted against Mr Uzodinma did not attend Friday’s meeting. Of those who had backed his removal, only the governors of Kano, Kebbi, Benue, Ebonyi, and Borno states were present at the Friday meeting.
Spokespersons to the governors of Kebbi and Kano states did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Kula Tersoo, the chief press secretary to the Benue State Governor, said he was not in a position to speak on the matter. “The PGF is a voluntary association. I have no idea what they discussed there. I have never followed the governor to attend their meetings, so I am not aware of his position on the issue,” Mr Tersoo said.
The Ebonyi State Governor’s spokesperson, Monday Uzor, said he was not aware of his principal’s position at Thursday’s meeting, adding that Governor Francis Nwifuru was in Ebonyi State on Thursday and did not travel to Abuja. “He attended a function at Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state that day,” Mr Uzor said.
Abdurrahman Bundi, the media aide to Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that his principal was physically present at the meeting convened by Governor Hope Uzodinma on Friday. However, Mr Bundi was careful to contextualise the governor’s attendance, stating that it should not be misread as an endorsement of any particular outcome. “That fact is not in dispute with any other investigation you may have carried out. You should know that Zulum maintains his independence of judgement, but he is also a committed party man. You should take his physical presence as a gesture of cooperation,” he said.
PREMIUM TIMES reported the governors who passed the vote of no confidence on Mr Uzodinma are from Adamawa, Zamfara, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa, Benue, Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau, Enugu, Ebonyi, Ogun, Borno, Taraba, Katsina, Kebbi, and Kano states.
Those backing Mr Uzodinma are the governors of Yobe, Lagos, Gombe, Kogi, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, Sokoto, Jigawa, and Kaduna, who were all present at Friday’s meeting.
Oguike Nwachukwu, the spokesperson to Mr Uzodinma, said the governors at the Friday meeting rallied behind Mr Uzodinma and that the Kebbi State governor moved a vote of confidence in the Uzodinma-led PGF. PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify that claim.
It remained unclear whether President Tinubu had intervened in the crisis, which sources say has been brewing for several weeks over internal leadership control and strategic positioning ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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Governor Peter Mbah, who has been reported as elected to replace Mr Uzodinma, could not be reached for comment. His spokesperson, Dan Nwomeh, told PREMIUM TIMES that the governor has been attending meetings in Abuja and he has not been briefed on the matter of PGF leadership. Mr Nwomeh added that he is unaware of the reported election of Mr Mbah as the new chairman of the PGF.
Forum denies removal
The PGF’s Director General, Folorunso Aluko, swiftly dismissed reports of Mr Uzodinma’s removal, insisting that no such meeting or resolution had taken place.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Progressive Governors Forum states categorically that the report is entirely false, baseless, and without an iota of truth,” the forum said in an official statement.
The forum further said its secretariat had no record of any such resolution. “The PGF secretariat has no record of, and is not aware of, any resolution removing the Chairman. His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, remains the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum,” the statement added.
The development marks a significant crack within the ranks of APC governors ahead of the 2027 general election cycle, and comes amid growing political realignments within the ruling party.
