The Abubakar Baraje faction of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, has described as “unacceptable and dangerous,” the refusal of the presidency to recognize the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Ameachi  as the Chairman of the  Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF.

This is contained in a statement by its spokesperson, Chukwuemeka Eze, in Abuja last Wednesday.

It will be recalled that Mr. Amaechi was re-elected the Forum’s chairman on May 24 when he defeated his lone challenger, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State by 19 votes to 16.

However, governors in Jang’s camp claimed victory for him thereby splitting the Forum into two factions. Since the division, the presidency has been given tacit backing to the group of 16 governors led by the Plateau State governor.

The Political Adviser to the President, Ahmed Gulak, had last weekend stated that Mr. Amaechi was not the authentic chairman of the NGF.

The Baraje faction also known as the “New PDP,” said President Goodluck Jonathan’s refusal to attend and deliver a keynote speech at the recent retreat organized by the Amaechi-led NGF, was a further reiteration of his support for the Jang faction.

It noted that the presidency’s support for the Jang faction would not only send across a dangerous signal, but would also frustrate efforts to unite the governors to enable them serve Nigerians better.

It further declared that the continued refusal of the Presidency to recognise Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) is, to say the least, unfortunate, dangerous, unjustifiable, regrettable and unacceptable.

The splinter group said it was the same disdain for majority opinion that had factionalised the ruling PDP, and put its very survival in jeopardy and appealed to Mr. President to disregard the misleading advice of the hawks around him and make himself an agent of peace and unity, both in the NGF and the PDP.

It therefore advised the president to rise above narrow partisanship and see himself as an impartial father eager to reconcile his feuding children adding that anything short of this will not only tarnish his reputation but also have dire implications for national peace, unity and progress.

The Baraje faction also lambasted Mr. Jang for his continued projection of himself as the NGF chair, and advised that everyone should learn to protect the nation’s democracy.

The group also wished President Goodluck Jonathan, who turned 56 on Wednesday, prosperous and blissful birthday and prayed God “to continue to guide and protect him from the evil mechanism and unholy counsel from misguided hawks in the Presidency and grant him the wisdom to see himself as a Statesman and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”