There is always a camaraderie when you meet your classmates from any stage of education, whether it be primary, secondary, or tertiary. The same holds true when you reunite with your professional peers.
It was no different when President Bola Tinubu recently met with the class of 1999 governors at the Presidential Villa. These were the first elected governors who served after the military era ended and the fourth republic began on May 29, 1999.
As soon as President Tinubu walked into the room and saw former Edo State governor, Lucky Igbenidion, he couldn’t contain his excitement and started hailing him, saying, “Lucky, Lucky!” The atmosphere was filled with happiness and camaraderie, as if it were a reunion of secondary school classmates.
It’s worth noting that the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, was also a governor in 1999.The late President Umaru Yar’Adua was also a member of the 1999 set.
Sadly, out of the 36 governors in the class of 1999, 10 have passed away. Chinwoke Mbadinuju served as governor of Anambra State from 1999 to 2003, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha governed Bayelsa State from 1999 to 2005, and Mala Kachalla was the governor of Borno State from 1999 to 2003 under the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
Abubakar Hashidu is among the 1999 governors who had a dramatic political career. He was the first elected governor of Gombe State and served from 1999 to 2003.
Abubakar Audu was the first civilian governor of Kogi State in 1992 but was interrupted by military rule in 1993. In 1999, he became the governor of the state under the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). Abdulkadir Kure was elected governor of Niger State from 1999 to 2007 on the PDP platform, Lamidi Adesina served as Oyo governor from 1999 to 2003 but sadly passed away in November 2012, and Mohammed Lawal was elected as the governor of Kwara State in 1999 on the platform of the All Peoples Party. Adebayo Adefarati was elected governor of Ondo State on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) party.
Additionally, the current Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu, was a member of the 1999 governors set. Adebisi Akande, who was the governor of Osun State from 1999, became the first interim chairman of the APC. Ahmed Makarfi, who served as the governor of Kaduna State from 1999 to 2007, later became the PDP chairman in 2018. After four years as the governor of Bauchi State from 1999, Adamu Muazu won re-election in 2003. In 2015, he became the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
During the meeting with the governors, Tinubu assured Nigerians that the framework for palliatives to mitigate the effects of fuel subsidy removal was being worked out.
He emphasized that the decision was in the best interest of the country, particularly in ensuring future prosperity.
Tinubu appealed for patience from Nigerians while the government increased efforts, accelerated the process, and ensured an uncompromised social security structure, especially in terms of cash transfers. He acknowledged the hardships people were facing and assured them that the palliative measures were forthcoming.
He expressed his desire to prevent the cash transfers from falling into the wrong hands, acknowledging the challenges faced and the difficulty of the situation. However, he remained optimistic, stating that in the end, the country would rejoice in its prosperity.
“We served as governors and sat in this Council Chamber. All I wanted was democracy and the salvation of the country. I never thought I was going to be here as President, but God Almighty has brought me,” Tinubu remarked.
The former governors urged President Tinubu to pursue his vision for a greater Nigeria with vigor, steadfastness, and resilience, assuring him of their support for development policies and promising to provide the necessary social structure for actualization.
“We are here with you. We are your foot soldiers, and you can tap into our experience. You are a person who believes in Nigeria. With your good leadership, Nigeria will take its place,” said Igbinedion, Chairman of the Class of 1999.
He confirmed that 19 governors attended the meeting, including President Tinubu, who was a former Governor of Lagos State, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume. Unfortunately, ten of their classmates had passed away.
Other governors present at the meeting with President Tinubu were Niyi Adebayo (Ekiti State), Sen. Orji Uzo Kalu (Abia State), Sen. Sam Egwu (Ebonyi State), Adamu Muazu (Bauchi State), Donald Duke (Cross River State), James Ibori (Delta State), Obong Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom State), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu State), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa State), Sen. Aleiro Adamu, Olusegun Osoba (Ogun State), Adebisi Akande (Osun State), Sen. Joshua Dariye (Plateau State), Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto State), Ahmad Sani Yarima (Zamfara State), and Rev. Jolly Nyame (Taraba State).
