A fresh political crisis has erupted within the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), following reports of an alleged move to remove the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, as chairman of the forum.
The development has exposed growing divisions among governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), with rival camps now struggling for control of the influential body.
The crisis became public after reports emerged that some APC governors had allegedly removed Uzodinma and replaced him with the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah.
The reports quickly generated tension within political circles and sparked confusion over the leadership of the forum.
However, the Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Folorunso Aluko, dismissed the reports, describing them as false and misleading.
Despite the denial, sources familiar with the matter said a meeting was held on Thursday night where some governors allegedly agreed to remove Uzodinma from his position as chairman of the forum.
According to the sources, the meeting took place at the Ogun State Government Lodge and was reportedly led by the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun.
Details of what led to the alleged disagreement were still unclear as of the time of filing this report, but insiders within the APC said the crisis may not be unconnected with growing political interests and alignments ahead of future political calculations within the ruling party.
The forum often plays a major role in policy discussions, party decisions and national political strategies.
Shortly after reports of Uzodinma’s alleged removal surfaced, another group of governors reportedly met behind closed doors at the Imo Lodge in Abuja on Friday and declared support for the Imo governor.
The governors passed a vote of confidence in Uzodinma and rejected any attempt to remove him as chairman of the forum.
Governors said to have attended the meeting included those from Ondo, Kaduna, Taraba, Sokoto, Ebonyi, Borno, Lagos, Kogi, Kano, Yobe, Kebbi, Benue and Jigawa states.
Nasarawa State was represented by its deputy governor.
The emergency meeting appeared to be a quick response aimed at stopping the crisis from escalating further within the ruling party.
Speaking after the meeting, the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, denied claims that the forum was divided.
He described the reports of crisis and removal as unfortunate and insisted that APC governors remained united in support of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“All of us woke up to that very unfortunate story, which was virtually in all the media in Nigeria. But the truth of the matter is that the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum is very united,” he said.
“We are stronger now than at any other time. And, of course, we are all supporting the president for what he has been doing.”
He further assured party members and Nigerians that there was no crisis within the forum.
“We also want to assure everyone that the APC is united, the governors are united, the forum is united, and there is no problem at all,” he added.
Despite the public assurances, political analysts believe the conflicting meetings and claims of removal suggest underlying tensions among APC governors.
The APC has experienced several internal disagreements in recent years, especially after the 2023 general elections that brought President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to power.
Although party leaders have repeatedly projected unity, differences among governors and key stakeholders have occasionally surfaced over appointments, party leadership and control of political structures.
Uzodinma, who currently serves as chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, has been seen as one of the close allies of President Tinubu within the APC.
He has also played active roles in major party activities and reconciliation efforts since assuming leadership of the forum.
The mention of Governor Peter Mbah in the reports also created fresh political debate because he belongs to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and not the APC.
As the controversy continues, many party members are waiting for an official statement from the APC national leadership to clarify the situation and address the conflicting claims.
Some stakeholders within the ruling party are also calling for calm to prevent the disagreement from deepening divisions within the APC.
The Progressive Governors’ Forum has, over the years, served as a platform where APC governors discuss governance issues, economic policies, security challenges and party matters.
The forum became especially influential during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and remains a key structure within the party.
Political watchers believe that any instability within the forum could affect coordination among APC governors and create fresh tensions within the ruling party ahead of future political activities.
For now, the public endorsement of Uzodinma by 18 governors appears to have strengthened his position, at least temporarily.
However, the conflicting reports and secret meetings have revealed that not all may be well within the APC governors’ camp.