Mohammed Goni Explained

Mohammed Goni
Office1:Governor of Borno State
Term Start1:October 1979
Term End1:October 1983
Predecessor1:Tunde Idiagbon
Successor1:Asheik Jarma
Birth Place:Kareto, Mobbar LGA, Borno State, Nigeria
Death Date: (aged 78)[1]
Death Place:Maiduguri, Borno

Alhaji Mohammed Goni was a civil servant who was Governor of Borno State, Nigeria (1979–1983) in the Nigerian Second Republic.[2]

Background

Mohammed Goni was born in 1942 in Kareto, Mobbar Local Government Area, Borno State. He attended Maiduguri Middle School (1953–55), Borno Provincial Secondary School (1956–61), Provincial Secondary School, Kano (1962–63) and the Institute of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1964–87), where he gained a BA (Administration), specialising in international affairs.[3]

In 1977, he transferred to the Nigerian National Supply Company.[3]

Governor of Borno State

In April 1979, Mohammed Goni resigned from the National Supply Company and entered politics.[3] He was elected as the first civilian governor of the former Borno State, on the platform of the Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP), and was in office from October 1979 to September 1983.[4] He was also part of the Progressives Coalition led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo.[5] Goni founded the Borno Radio Television (BRTV) to counter the propaganda which was being pumped out of the Federal Government owned and sponsored Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).[6] In retrospect, his period of office was considered one of achievement when compared with his successors.[7]

Before the 1983 elections, Goni transferred to the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), running unsuccessfully for reelection against the Nigerian People's Party (NPP) candidate Sheikh Jarma.[8] In the case of Federal Electoral Commission v Alhadji Mohammed Goni (1983), the Supreme Court of Nigeria condemned cross-carpeting by political officeholders.[9]

Later career

Mohammed Goni was a member of the committee that drafted the 1995 Constitution.[3] In the April 2003 general elections he ran on the United Nigeria People's Party (UNPP) platform as vice-presidential candidate with Jim Nwobodo as the presidential candidate. They were not elected.[5]

In January 2011 he was elected by PDP delegates in Borno state to be their gubernatorial flag-bearer in the April 2011 elections.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BREAKING: Former Governor, Mohammed Goni is dead . 30 April 2020 . . 30 September 2022 . 8 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220708230621/https://politicsnigeria.com/breaking-former-governor-mohammed-goni-is-dead/ . live .
  2. Web site: Aondofa . Chila Andrew . Mohammed Goni: First Civilian Governor Of Borno State . The Abusites . 2021-04-30 . 2023-06-07.
  3. Web site: Alhaji Mohammed Goni (The first civilian governor of Borno State) . Bosoma . Sheriff . Shettima Maina . Mohammed . Kanuri Studies Association . 14 December 2009 . 17 July 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110717202150/http://www.kanuri.net/borno_personalities2.php?aID=62 . live.
  4. Web site: How we underdeveloped Borno North, by Mohammed Goni . 30 September 2009 . Timothy . Ola . OnlineNigeria Daily News . 14 December 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120225040919/http://news.onlinenigeria.com/templates/?a=8522 . 25 February 2012.
  5. Web site: Only two-party system can save Nigeria, Goni . Jide . Babalola . 11 October 2009 . The Nation . 14 December 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726120632/http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/articles/21498/1/Only-two-party-system-can-save-Nigeria-Goni/Page1.html . 26 July 2011.
  6. Web site: Africa Media Review Vol. 3 No. 1. 1988 . African Council on Communication Education . 1988 . Jerry K. . Domatob . 14 December 2009 . 25 July 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110725082952/http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/africa%20media%20review/vol3no1/jamr003001010.pdf . live.
  7. Web site: Tussle for Sheriff's succession . Sadiq . Abubakar . National Daily . 14 December 2009 . 5 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201205135905/http://www.nationaldailyngr.com/77pol2.htm . dead.
  8. Web site: Nigeria Should Revert To Parliamentary Govt – Darmai . Abdulkareem . Haruna . 7 November 2009 . Daily Independent . 14 December 2009 . 24 July 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110724024102/http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=2938 . live.
  9. Web site: Coup against Bauchi State ANPP . 6 October 2009 . John Moyibi . Amoda . Vanguard . 14 December 2009 . 7 December 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091207212203/http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/06/coup-against-bauchi-state-anpp-4/ . live.