Imo state governor Hope Uzodinma elected new chairman of progressive governor’s forum

Imo state Governor Hope Uzodinma has emerged as the new chairman of the progressive governors forum of the ruling All progressive congress+APC).

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Hope Uzodinma emerged as Imo state governor in controversial circumstances four three years ago as he came from a fourth position to become the governor. This was made possible by the highly contested supreme Court judgement that ruled in his favour.

With the supreme court judgement Hope Uzodinma displaced Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP who was the duly elected governor by the Imo state people.