Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has elected Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, as its new chairman.
It also elected Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, as vice chairman.
They will hold the positions until 2021.
Immediate past chairman of the forum, Governor Abdul Aziz Yari of Zamfara State informed newsmen of the development after the forum met in Abuja Wednesday night.
Yari said Fayemi was nominated by the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, and seconded by the Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Fayemi said his leadership would build on the success stories of Yari, and that he would work with other arms of government to build a stronger nation.
“We are committed to a strong partnership with the Federal Government,” Fayemi said.
Yari said the forum was concerned with the recent guidelines of Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) which imposed a restriction on the powers of state and local governments to operate within constitutionally approved parameters.
“The new guidelines have no legal basis under the NFIU Act and are contrary to constitutional provisions which put the state joint local government account under the legislation of the state house of assembly.
“The guidelines will also be determined to the interest of states and local governments by crippling programmes such as the universal basic education programme, primary health care under one roof, as well as the payment of salaries of teachers, medical doctors and health workers among others which are primarily funded by the state government,” he said.
