At least six governors of Fulani extraction backpedalled on an earlier endorsement of Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State by the Northern Governors’ Forum in retaliation of Jang’s handling of the Fulani-Berom crisis in his state.
The conspiracy by the “Fulani” governors, it was gathered, resulted in Jang’s loss of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) chairmanship to Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State.
Pointblanknews.com authoritatively gathered that Governors Ibrahim Shema, Isa Yuguda, Murtala Nyako and Musa Kwakwanso of Katsina, Bauchi, Adamawa States, strategised to frustrate Jang over his alleged bias in the Fulani-Berom ethnic crisis which has claimed thousands of lives.
Other governors of Fulani extraction said to nurse a grudge against Jang include Aliyu Wammako and Aliyu Saidu Dakingari of Sokoto and Kebbi States respectively.
A top Presidency source told Pointblanknews that a very vocal Fulani governor from the North east zone has been sulking on how Jang allegedly hurt his Fulani kinsmen in Plateau State.
“Jang and his Berom brothers in Plateau are killing our brothers there.
How on earth do you think we will vote such a man as our chairman? Even if you put two armoured tanks on my head, we will still vote against Jang,” the governor reportedly submitted.
The source said another governor disclosed that the last minute withdrawal from the race for the NGF chairmanship by Governors Shema and Yuguda for Jang was designed to exact their pound of flesh from the Plateau governor.
“Shema and Yuguda tactically withdrew from the race and nudged Jang to throw his hat in the ring with a false promise that the Northern Governors’ Forum would back whoever emerged as consensus candidate.
“They pretended to drive home the point by brandishing an endorsement sealed in April. It was with this false of hope that Jang plunged into the election. Any wonder he lost?” posed the source.
Pointblanknews.com also gathered that but for the dissuasion from some Presidency officials, Jang’s faction would have headed to court to seek an order recognising him as the NGF chairman.
“The argument that 19 northern governors had endorsed Jang cannot hold water. Endorsement cannot take the place of election. The purpose of any election is for the majority to have their way, but also allowing the minority to have their say,” the source submitted.
“You cannot willingly submit to and participate in a process and turn around to challenge such process in court. Any judge worth his salt would throw out such frivolity,” he added.
Pointblanknews.com also gathered that Governor Yuguda’s recent clarification s in a national daily on his role in Amaechi’s emergence was to save face.
“Quote me, no Fulani governor voted Jang, so whatever Yuguda said was mere damage control. I wonder why he came out to make such unsolicited and unnecessary clarifications when it was glaring Governor Sullivan Chime voted Amaechi,” another source added.
Since 2001, Pleatau State has been a cauldron of ethnic conflict between itinerant Fulani cattle breeders and the Aborigines.
However, the ethnic clashes heightened during Jang’s tenure. In July 2012, the federal government through the State Joint Task Force (STF) asked Fulani in four Plateau villages to vacate the state heightening the bitter rivalry between both ethnic groups.