Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has said that he has no personal issues with President Goodluck Jonathan.
Aliyu equally said that unless his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, sends him out, he was not prepared to leave.
Aliyu fielded questions from State House correspondents on Thursday evening shortly after meeting with the President.
Aliyu, alongside four other northern governors, are believed to be opposed to President Jonathan’s 2015 reelection ambition.
The governor said he only disagreed with the President on policy issues.
He said he was at the State House to discuss issues of paramount importance to the people of Niger State with Jonathan.
Such issues, he said, included good roads and a airport for the state.
Aliyu said: “Let’s get something very clear: in politics, you may disagree with a particular policy, you may disagree with the process but you cannot be said to disagree with the President because you did not put him there.
“Nigerians put him there and God put him there.
“This is the mistake that people make.
“They want to put people against each other.
“Even in your house as a father, sometimes your child may disagree with the way and manner you do certain things but that doesn’t mean he is not your son.
“I think that is the misnomer that many people have been giving out.
“The issues are that we have many issues on ground and unless they are discussed, there is no way you can solve them.
“I don’t think it is against the President.
“Some issues came up and they have been discussed.
“You remember our problems in the Governors’ Forum?
“We are discussing how to resolve them.
“We want to insulate clearly Mr. President out of it because if anything happens now, they will say the President is involved.
“Even the simple election that took place for the Youth Council in Niger State, many people wanted to bring politics into it.
“I have heard people saying it should not be held in Niger because the governor is against the President.
“I think that is a misnomer.
“I am here today to see Mr. President and to remind him of some of the things we have been discussing.
“The roads in Niger, my airport, which has been for sometimes dormant, and some issues are coming from the Ministry of Aviation and I know he will help us.”
Asked about the report that some aggrieved governors have floated another party, Governor Aliyu said: “I read it too.
“Sometimes, if we deny or say yes, we are giving credibility to it.
“I saw it as you did.
“I am not a quitter.
“God took me to PDP.
“My prayer was to be a Head of Service and God said I should be governor under PDP and I am not about quitting now unless I am dismissed.
“But I am not jumping from one party to another.”
Aliyu also spoke on the suspension of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, saying that he may have to withdraw the case from the court so that it could be resolved.
He said: “If I understand our constitution right, it says you can be suspended for 30 days, after which NEC (National Executive Committee) will have to rectify it.
“Now, 30 days have passed and the issue has not been brought to NEC.
“So on that part, that issue has lapsed.
“But another angle is being brought into it: that the issue is in court.
“In order words, our colleague has to withdraw the case from court or it takes the natural process.
“But then you see so many things happening in Rivers State.
“Suddenly, we were reading about people being dismissed. “I think some people are reading the constitution of the PDP upside down.”
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