EXCLUSIVE: Imo Gov, Hope Uzodinma, emerges APC Governors’ Forum chairman

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has emerged as the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, the umbrella body of governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), PREMIUM TIMES can report.

Also, the newly inaugurated governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, emerged as the vice-chairman of the forum.

Mr Uzodinma replaced Atiku Bagudu, the former governor of Kebbi State, who left office on 29 May.

Messrs Uzodinma and Sani emerged at a meeting of immediate past governors, reelected governors and newly elected governors of the party in Abuja on Tuesday.

The Imo governor, facing re-election in November, got the nod of all the ex-governors and the new governors to serve a four-year term.

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Mr Uzodinma’s predecessor, Rochas Okorocha, headed the forum until 2019, when he left office as governor.

Mr Sani, on his part, was sworn in as Kaduna governor on Monday. He represented the Kaduna Central senatorial district in the ninth Senate, which winds down in June.

Mr Sani’s role is a new development in the forum; hence, the governors will have to amend the memorandum of the association.

It was learnt that the decision to appoint a vice-chairperson is not unconnected with the fact that Mr Uzodinma is facing re-election in November.

The PGF has grown significantly in influence in the past couple of years and also played a major role in the emergence of Bola Tinubu as the party candidate in June 2022.

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The APC controls 19 states, namely Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, Jigawa, Yobe, Borno, Gombe and Benue states.

Others are Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Nasarawa, Imo, Ebonyi, Cross River, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Lagos states.

Meanwhile, Abdulkadir Mayere, a former permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, has been appointed as the director-general of the forum.