Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has been elected Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum.

Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, emerged Vice Chairman.

This followed a meeting of the Southern Governors Forum in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Monday.

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The meeting, which lasted about five hours, had in attendance 13 governors and three deputy governors from the southern states.

The governors are Dapo Abiodun, Ogun, Godwin Obaseki, Edo, Seyi Makinde, Oyo, Alex Otti, Abia, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos, Ademola Adeleke, Osun, Francis Nwifuru, Ebonyi, Peter Mbah, Enugu, Douye Diri, Bayelsa, and Umo Eno, Akwa Ibom State.

Others are Biodun Oyebanji, Ekiti, Bassey Otu, Cross River, Charles Soludo, Anambra, Imo state deputy governor, Chinyere Ekomaru, Delta State deputy governor, Monday Onyeme, and Ondo State deputy governor, Olayide Adelami.

A former Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, has lambasted the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, for ordering his prosecution over the death of George Sibo in the last governorship election.

Sylva was responding to a call by Governor Diri at the burial of the deceased in Twon-Brass on Thursday, directing the state Attorney-General to commence legal action against him (Sylva), and those who stormed the collation centre.

Diri alleged that the 31-year-old George Sibo was killed when Timipre Sylva, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the November 11 governorship poll, led his party members and supporters to invade the collation centre and held INEC officials hostage.

The governor expressed sadness over the dastardly killing of the young man and promised that the state government would bring the culprits to book.

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Sylva, in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Julius Bokoru, said the directive, which Diri gave to his attorney-general, had shown the governor’s desperation to deploy diversionary tactics and distractions against his case at the Appeal Court.

The statement said: “Chief Sylva is curious at what Diri’s apparent desperation can push him to. It is clear this recent effort is a symptom of fear, shortly after Diri tried to conjure some phantom EFCC case against Sylva he devised a new method of distraction which, of course, is dead on arrival.

“Sylva knows nothing of the murder of George Sibo, an illustrious and promising youth of the state, it is important to note that by the time the young man died, Sylva was well out of the Island.”

The statement alleged that Diri had continued to spend huge amounts of taxpayers’ money on heavy propaganda to distract Sylva’s focus on his case.

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The statement further said: “It is clear that this is fear, anxiety and everything to distract Chief Sylva after his attempt to bring up EFCC issues failed in the wake of a long and relentless string of propaganda against Chief Sylva with taxpayers monies.

“It is clear that any attempt to drag Chief Sylva into this issue is either inspired by fear and anxiety or by a thoroughly jaundiced mindset.

“Everything imaginable has been put in Sylva’s way to distract him. After Diri’s attempt to bring up phantom EFCC issues failed. After the endless and relentless string of propaganda failed against Chief Sylva. Now this.”

The statement also stated: “Chief Sylva, concerned Bayelsans and the APC are trying everything within the law to get a stolen mandate back. Until justice is done, Diri’s Governorship remains illegitimate in the minds of every sincere Bayelsan and every sincere person of goodwill.”

Barely four months to the governorship election in Edo State, a member of the Asue Ighodalo Campaign Council, Prince Felix Isuku, has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Isuku’s resignation was contained in a letter addresed to the PDP state chairman and other relevant officials on Friday.

The three time Executive Director of Edo State Internal Revenue Service, under the current administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki and his predecessor, Comrade Governor Adams Oshiomhole, attributed his decision to the power struggle that started with the factionalization of the party in the state.

Isuku, who was before now a member of the campaign committee of the PDP governorship candidate, Ighodalo, said in the resignation letter, “I write to inform you that after extensive consultations with my enlarged political family in Owan constituency in Owan East and Owan West, I have decided to formally resign as a member of the above named party (PDP).

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“The reason for my resignation is because of the high level of power struggle that started with the fractionalization of the party and metamorphosed into an unprecedented and unending faction or political divide that has continued to affect the internal politics of the party (PDP).

“Another reason is the continued megalomaniac attitude of some party leaders which cannot be over emphasized or ignored.

“I have lost interest in the leadership of the party and have as well lost confidence in the ability of the party to win any credible elections.

“Before now, I was the PDP Leader of Wards 3 and 4 of Ihievbe, as well as one of the foremost Leaders of PDP in Owan East and West Local Governments.

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“I also was a three time Executive Director of Edo State Internal Revenue Service under the current administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki and his predecessor the then Revered Comrade Governor Adams Aliu Oshiomhole.

“I have worked tirelessly for the PDP using my personal resources and influence to wholeheartedly support the party at all times especially during electoral processes.

“However my interests and ideologies are no longer aligned with that of the party as a house divided against itself can never stand, hence my resignation.

“Kindly consider this as my resignation from every party responsibility henceforth including my service as a member of the campaign committee for Dr Asue Ighodalo.”