About 20 governors who are members of the Progressive Governors Forum have named Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State as its chairman.

It was gathered that the decision followed the reported sack of the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma as the chairman of the forum.

The decision was taken at an extraordinary meeting of some 20 All Progressives Congress, APC, governors held in Abuja on Thursday night, reports say.

Arise TV reported that other attendees at the meeting included the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, Peter Mbah of Enugu State and 17 others.

But Director General of the forum, Folorunso Aluko, said in statement the report was “false and misleading.”

But the PGF Director who spoke to our correspondent said there was no such meeting, adding that the Imo State Governor remained the chairman of the body.

But a source who is aware of the development confirmed that the meeting was held at the Ogun Government Lodge on Thursday night.

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Hope Uzodinma, the Governor of Imo State, has said that the governorship seat must stay zoned among the state’s three senatorial zones.

The governor said this after getting the report from the Imo Elders Council, which was set up to look over the Charter of Equity on how the governorship seat should rotate between the three zones: Orlu, Okigwe, and Owerri.

Uzodinma said that the state will not see any kind of hostile takeover. He stressed that justice, inclusion, and consensus are still important for keeping the peace in the state.

The governor spoke to the Elders Council at the Government House Banquet Hall in Owerri. He said that the lessons learned from the 2020 crisis, when he took office, showed how dangerous it is to exclude people from politics.

“Anyone who is denied justice may not want peace. Uzodinma said, “We will stop any kind of hostile takeover by getting everyone to agree.”

He called the Elders Council the “conscience of the state” and said that it was set up by law to guide government without any political bias.

The state’s top citizen said that there are plans to change the law that set up the council to give it more power, including punishing members who do bad things.

Uzodinma said again that the Charter of Equity takes into account the fair distribution of important political positions across the three senatorial zones. He urged all parties to respect zoning rules and avoid politics that divide people.

He also said again that the state is in line with the federal government and thanked President Bola Tinubu for his help.

The governor was hopeful that following fairness and justice would ensure stability and a smooth political change in the state.

“Charter of Equity is here to stay.” Believe in the Charter of Equity and listen to what makes sense. Support the president and work with the federal government. “And go home and pray and let God do the rest,” Uzodinma said.

He said he would talk to more people from all three zones to build on the agreement that will bring about political stability, which he says the state has not had in a long time.

He told the elders that their work would not end with his administration, as the body would still give advice to future governors in the state.

Earlier, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, the Chairman of the Elders Council, praised the governor for bringing the state together and said that sustainable development can only happen when all areas move forward together.

Ilomuanya said that the Imo Charter of Equity should not just be talk; it should be put into action by making sure that appointments are fair, projects are distributed fairly, and everyone in the state’s zones has the same opportunities.

He said that the charter was a promise to make Imo a welcoming place where no one feels left out and everyone can strive to be a leader without being discriminated against.

Eze Ilomuanya told the governor to follow the Charter’s principles of fairness, justice, and peace.

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