Governors backing the newly reelected chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Amaechi, had premonition that the keenly contested election might become tumultuous, so they requested one of them to secretly video the poll, multiple sources close to the governors have told PREMIUM TIMES.
With his mobile phone, an unnamed governor secretly captured most of the proceedings of an election that featured intense maneuvering from governors on a clear divide, either in support or against President Goodluck Jonathan’ candidate, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau state.
The president has repeatedly denied having interest in who becomes the next chairman of the group, but that claim has been disproved by insiders and governors, and even the president’s body language.
The footage, seen by a PREMIUM TIMES source, documents how the 35 governors, who participated, were transparently accredited, assigned ballot papers, before they took turns to slot them in a transparent ballot box hired from the Independent National Electoral Commission, our source said.
At a point during the election, a source said, the arrowhead of the opposition against Mr. Amaechi, Governor Godswill Akpabio, realized the election was being taped and he charged angrily at the governor doing the recording. But once Mr. Akpabio turned away, the governor simply resumed his secret recording.
