Mohammed Goni
Governor of Borno State
In office
October 1979 – October 1983
Preceded byTunde Idiagbon
Succeeded byAsheik Jarma
Personal details
Born1942 (1942)
Kareto, Mobbar LGA, Borno State, Nigeria
Died29 April 2020 (2020-04-30) (aged 78)[1]
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.

References

  1. ^ "BREAKING: Former Governor, Mohammed Goni is dead". Politics Nigeria. 30 April 2020. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  2. ^ Aondofa, Chila Andrew (30 April 2021). "Mohammed Goni: First Civilian Governor Of Borno State". The Abusites. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Sheriff, Bosoma; Mohammed, Shettima Maina. "Alhaji Mohammed Goni (The first civilian governor of Borno State)". Kanuri Studies Association. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  4. ^ Ola, Timothy (30 September 2009). "How we underdeveloped Borno North, by Mohammed Goni". OnlineNigeria Daily News. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  5. ^ a b Babalola, Jide (11 October 2009). "Only two-party system can save Nigeria, Goni". The Nation. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  6. ^ Domatob, Jerry K. (1988). "Africa Media Review Vol. 3 No. 1. 1988" (PDF). African Council on Communication Education. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  7. ^ Abubakar, Sadiq. "Tussle for Sheriff's succession". National Daily. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2009.[dead link]
  8. ^ Haruna, Abdulkareem (7 November 2009). "Nigeria Should Revert To Parliamentary Govt – Darmai". Daily Independent. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  9. ^ Amoda, John Moyibi (6 October 2009). "Coup against Bauchi State ANPP". Vanguard. Archived from the original on 7 December 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
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