The national chairman of the ruling All progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has identified why states governors and their deputies are always at loggerhead.

Speaking when members of the forum of former deputy governors paid him a congratulatory visit at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, he blamed sycophants for the unfortunate development.

Ganduje who served as Deputy governor to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for two terms recalled that he avoided the antics of sycophants to serve out his tenure without having issues with Kwankwaso.

Stating that the importance of deputy governors cannot be underestimated since they would always come handy anytime the governor is indisposed, he reminded serving deputy governors that they are more or less “spare tyres” since the constitution did not clearly spell out any defined roles for them.

He described the deputy governor seat as a controversial one adding that the desire to address the recurring conflict between governor and their deputies informed his decision to write the book titled “Deputising and Governance in Nigeria.”

He noted: “There is no doubt the position of the Deputy Governor is the most controversial position in governance. Not only in Nigeria but all over the world. Except in some nations where some of the governors contest on his own party. The Deputy Governor can contest in another party. And win the election and they work together.

“In Nigeria, it has to be the same ticket. The position of the Deputy Governor as I always say is the most controversial position. That is why Governor has no Deputy. Everybody is a servant. It is a no go area. But we as humans the constitution has to provide for it as a spare tire. And we all know the importance of a spare tire. If you don’t need it when you are normal then you will need it when you are in trouble.

“Deputy Governors will have to contend with one issue. The issue of sycophancy. As I always say, it very easy to get it right as far as his boss is concerned. What I was trying to say was that our position was faced with difficulties. When you are walking with a governor, if you are walking so that you are going side by side, so that if he talks to you so that you can hear him, and you talk to him he cam hear you, sycophants will say you are rubbish and all that.

“If you are in the front and there is any accident, or dangerous elements even snakes, and let it bite you first before biting your principal sycophants will say you have overtaken him.

“If you respect your principal and you stay behind, let him go front, sycophants will say you are developing a lukewarm attitude. Therefore you are retreating. Now, tell me which position will you take? It is difficult. That is why I decided to write a book. Even up till now that problem is still on. In fact, if it persist, we are trying to organise a national conference on the relationship between Governors and their Deputies.

“My book is not dwelling on Governors and Deputies and even including the President and Vice President considering what happened between Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar. I focused on Deputizing because in everything you have deputizing. So I said Deputizing and governance in Nigeria.

“If you are a Chancellor you have Vice Chancellor or Deputy Vice Chancellor. If you have managing director you will have Deputy managing director. If you are a principal, you have Vice principal.

“You can see that it is the concept that is important not the key people that are there.”

Ganduje who expressed gratitude to members of the forum for felicitating with him assured that he would do all within his powers to ensure the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration live up to the expectations of Nigerians.

The deputy governors forum led by Chris Akomas demanded the immediate review of the APC constitution to achieve the objective.

The forum drawn from across the country argued that they deserve to be accorded the privilege to serve as NEC members in view of their experience and expertise garnered over the years in the course of the governance over the years.

Pledging to support the Ganduje-led national working committee (NWC) to deliver on its mandate , the forum disclosed that they have concluded arrangement to hold their annual conference in October this year.

Akomas disclosed that members of the forum numbering over 60 are on the verge of publishing a book detailing their experience in office in their respective states.

Calling on Ganduje to serve as a resource person during the conference, they also hinted of their resolve to organize a national summit on rebranding the nation in March 2024.