By Chesa Chesa
All Progressive Congress (APC) Governors Forum has weighed in on the fraud allegations surrounding the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, declaring that Nigerians should consider her innocent of the allegations for now as she had not been found guilty.
The Governors, under the aegis of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), made their position known on Wednesday night after their meeting at the Imo State Lodge in Abuja.
Addressing the press after the meeting, chairman of the Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, said it would be hasty to condemn the suspended Minister as the probe instituted against her by President Bola Tinubu is yet to then in a report.
Governor Uzodinma who said the issue came up for deliberation during their maiden meeting of the new year, added that it is only after the investigation and report that the the actual intentions of the individuals involved in saga would be known.
“It’s just an allegation and in the wisdom of the president, it is being investigated, it is after the investigation is completed and the report made available to the government, that the government will now take final decision. So don’t be in a hurry and don’t allow any sickness like anxiety cirrhosis”, he said.
On the various bye elections, rerun and off-cycle season elections planned for the year, the APC governors said the party is always ready for any election at any given time, and that they have also resolved to throw their full weight behind the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration.
“This is our first meeting since the beginning of this year and the meeting gave us the opportunity to review what is going on in the country and also agree on how best to continue to support our government and our party with a view to maximizing the benefits of current policies of our administration.
“The Progressive Governors Forum is united in supporting the APC administration ably lead by our ebullient President Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. We will continue to support him, we will take his policies to the grassroots and as sub-national leaders of our great party, ensure that our people come on the same page with the thinking of the government whose primary objective is to secure the country and provide adequate welfare to the good people of our dear country”, Uzodimma stated.
The meeting which was held at Imo Governor’s Lodge was attended by Governors Hope Uzodinma (Imo Governor and PGF chairman), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Yahaya Inuwa (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun).
Others were Lucky Aiyetadiwa (Ondo), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Ahmad Aliyu (Sokoto), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Uba Sani (Kaduna), AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq (Kwara) and Bassey Otu (Cross River) as well as Abiodun Oyebanji (Ekiti).
