Nigerian Governors Reacts After Wike Called Them “Beggars, Toothless Bulldogs That Can’t Bite”

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has reacted to River State Governor, Nyesom Wike’s statement referring to the Forum as a “beggars forum, a toothless bulldog that can only bark and can’t bite.”

KanyiDaily had reported that Governor Wike said the NGF had turned beggars and became toothless bulldog since the All Progressives Congress (APC) took over the leadership of the forum in 2015.

He was reacting to the failure of the NGF to speak up for embattled Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, who was disqualified from contesting in the APC’s upcoming primary for the party ticket in the September governorship election.

In a statement issued by its Head of Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Barkindo, the NGF said Wike could not have referred to them as a beggars because he is an old and very strong member of the forum.

The NGF pointed out that the author of the release, Rivers Information Commissioner Paulinus Nsirim, should be blamed for what it called a ‘misrepresentation’.

“Beggars Forum: Governor Wike is an old member of the NGF and a strong one at that. He could not have referred to the NGF as a Beggars Forum.

“Blame it on the author of the release, Mr [Paulinus] Nsirim, the Information Commissioner in Rivers State, who couldn’t distinguish between the NGF and the Progressive Governors Forum which is the political platform of APC Governors.

“The NGF has six core mandate areas and politics isn’t one of them. The NGF is happy to state that Governor Wike is one of its strong members and has delegated his Deputy Governor to the Forum and she has never missed any meeting.

“The NGF appeals to all media advisers to seek to acquaint themselves with the different groups that their Chief Executives belong to in order to avoid making such misrepresentations that are entirely political and not governance-related,” the statement said.

KanyiDaily had reported that the APC screening committee disqualified Governor Obaseki from contesting in the party’s gubernatorial primaries scheduled to hold on June 22.

Obaseki’s disqualification was due to the APC committee’s judgement that the governor’s school leaving certificate and NYSC certificate are defective.