The Former Governors' Forum of Nigeria (FGF) will hold its inaugural meeting in April in Abuja. The gathering is intended to formalize a non-partisan platform for ex-governors to apply their experience to national governance and policy challenges. Earl Osaro Onaiwu, National Coordinator of the FGF and former Director-General of the Nigerian Governors Forum, described the event as the beginning of a structured national intervention. He emphasized that the forum aims to promote continuity in leadership thinking and strengthen democratic institutions.
The meeting will feature several prominent former state governors. Attendees include Chief Victor Attah, two-term former Governor of Akwa Ibom State; Chief Olusegun Osoba, former Governor of Ogun State; Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, former Governor of Ondo State; and Dr. Olusola Saraki, former Governor of Kwara State and ex-Senate President. Others expected are Alhaji Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State and Chief Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State. Onaiwu stated the forum is not a political bloc but a vehicle for constructive engagement between past leadership and current governance needs. The event will define the forum's structure, strategic direction, and role in national discourse.
A gathering of former governors may offer experienced voices, but Nigeria has seen many such forums yield little impact. The presence of figures like Olusegun Osoba and Olusola Saraki lends credibility, yet the real test lies in whether their collective advice will be heard beyond the press release. For Nigerians, another talking shop without actionable outcomes changes nothing.
