A rift has emerged within the Progressive Governors’ Forum following a dispute over the disbursement of funds to states and a clash over the forum’s leadership.
According to political analyst Segun Akande, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who chairs the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, privately confronted Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma and demanded explanations over delays in fund releases.
“The question from Governor AbdulRazaq was straightforward—why is the money not getting to the states as expected?” Akande disclosed.
While sources close to Uzodinma blamed unresolved presidential directives and administrative issues, Akande said some federal officials disputed that explanation. The disagreement has deepened suspicion among governors and widened cracks within the ruling bloc.
Akande said Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun’s dissatisfaction had gone beyond verbal objections. He claimed Abiodun had begun boycotting some Progressive Governors’ Forum meetings convened by Uzodinma over concerns about internal governance and decision-making.
The tension peaked last Thursday when Abiodun reportedly convened a strategic meeting in Abuja that produced Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah as “new chairman” of the forum. Uzodinma responded on Friday with another meeting that reaffirmed him as chairman, backed by the forum’s secretariat.
The parallel meetings have exposed what Akande described as “unprecedented division” among governors within the ruling political family.
He said Abiodun may have the backing of influential figures in the Federal Government, including allies close to President Bola Tinubu. With the President currently outside the country, Akande said intervention would likely be needed to restore unity.
“But what everyone seems to agree on,” he said, “is that the President is the one who will eventually resolve this clear division.”
Beyond the power struggle, Akande criticised what he called the misplaced priorities of Nigeria’s political elite, arguing that battles over positions and influence overshadow urgent issues like insecurity, poverty, and economic hardship.
He cited the recent public clash between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole as another example of elite rivalry dominating national discourse.
“They are fighting over who gets what in 2027,” Akande said. “How I wish our political elites would engage in this level of serious political wrestling over the security and welfare of the Nigerian people—people who are living in multidimensional poverty, facing terrorism, banditry, and extreme violence.”
The developments are expected to fuel debate over cohesion within the ruling establishment as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
