By Oguwuike Nnadi
The Kogi state chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is currently heading into crisis as a group of party stakeholders from Kogi east has accused thev State governor, Yahaya Bello of plotting to impose a successor from Egbira tribe ahead of the April 14 governorship election primary in the state
The group accused the governor of being behind the purported suspension of the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Murala Yakubu Ajaka, as well as some member of the state House of Assembly and local government chairmen of Igala tribe, who were alleged to be involved in terrorism and anti pary activities
Leader of the Kogi east APC Forum, Akwo Goodman, who made the accusation while briefing the media at the weekend in Abuja, alleged that Governor Yahaya Bello of planning to impose one of his protégés and tribes men on the state in the forthcoming governorship election
Reports emerged at the weekend that Yakubu Ajaka, an NWC member of the party, who is also one of the aspirants contesting for the APC governorship ticket ahead of the November 11 election in Kogi state, was suspended over allegations of gross insubordination, anti-party activities among others.
His purported suspension came few days after the same fate was handed over to some state assembly members and four local government chairmen from the same zone of the state
Goodman accused Governor Bello of plotting the purported suspension to frustrate Yakubu’s governorship ambition, adding he sees the NWC member as a threat to the actualization of the Egbira succession plot of the governor.
Other aspirants in the race to replace Bello are his Chief of Staff, Abdulkareem Asuku; Auditor General, Ahmed Ododo and Commissioner for Local Government and chieftaincy affairs, Salami Ozigi-Deedat, as well as former Execiutive Girector at Rural Electrification Agency, Sanusi Ohiare.
There are also forces from Kogi west, as Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Secretary of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, James Faleke, and the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Smart Adeyemi, are also in the race.
But Goodman, who warned that the plot by Governor Bello will definitely fail, noted that Kogi east has remained the majority with the highest number of votes in the state, adding that politics has remained a game of numbers and not might
He said, “It is like the case of giving a dog a bad name just to hang it. The whole exercise was borne out of envy, jealousy and hatred for the rising political profile of Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, the kid on the block.
“The last elections held in the state shows that Igalamela-Odolu constituency has the highest votes from the whole of Kogi and this is the local government of Yakubu. He did excellently well in all the elections, winning his polling unit, ward, council and senatorial district resoundingly.
“Yakubu was the hero of APC success in Kogi East and by extension Kogi State. We hereby pass vote of absolute confidence on his capability hence that we know his illegal suspension was done out of the fear of his rising political profile.
“We hereby call on the National Chairman of our great party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led executives to void the purported suspension as all the allegations are figment of imagination and hatred enveloped with fear of the intimidating profile of Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka. The motive is political witch-hunting.
“Governor Yahaya Bello has never hidden his intention to impose his protégé from his tribe as successor in November 11 state governorship election, which is a mission impossible. Because politics is a game of number and majority will always carry the day while the minority will always have their say.
“The Igala people, being one of the top 10 largest demographic groups in Nigeria, are forced to break our silence finally to stop the unbecoming and larger-than-life attitude of some privileged political minors that providence paved way for but have refused to appreciate God in totality.”
