There was palpable tension at the national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress on Thursday following the arrival of Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello hours before the inauguration of the new zonal officers of the party’s National Working Committee.
Bello, who stormed the secretariat in the company of his loyalists and the heavy presence of security operatives, went straight into the party secretariat.
Hours after his arrival, a number of Kogi lawmakers from the Senate and House of Representatives were also seen joining him.
Although the National Chairman of the party, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje and the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru were absent, officials of the secretariat could be heard discussing in hush tones that the Kogi governor was obviously there to disrupt the inauguration.
“Bello and those lawmakers just coming in are here for just one reason – to ensure this inauguration doesn’t hold. Of course, we are all aware that his nominee, who was the ex-Special Adviser on Water Resources in Kogi, Yahaya Ismail was dropped in favour of Hon Duro Mesoko for the position of Deputy National Publicity Secretary.
“This same Bello was with Ganduje at his residence last night. Despite the explanation by the chairman that Mesoko was given the position to compensate Hon James Faleke for withdrawing from the Kogi governorship primary and for not making Tinubu’s ministerial list, Bello insisted that he won’t be cowed into accepting the deal,” a source at the secretariat told our correspondent.
The intimidating presence of Bello and his team of loyalists seemed to also trouble supporters of Mesoko, who sat quietly at the media centre with the embattled deputy publicity secretary-designate as many of them kept urging him to remain calm as they waited patiently for the swearing-in.
While the waiting game continued, an emissary came to invite Mesoko for a meeting with the governor.
Barely 30 minutes after their closed-door meeting, the delegation came out of the secretariat fuming that they won’t accept the deal.
When The PUNCH accosted one of Mesoko’s supporters, he offered an explanation.
“Just imagine the way the governor and those lawmakers were harassing him. They wanted to know why he didn’t turn down the appointment when he was offered.
“But when Mesoko insisted that he deserved it, having worked for the party at the state level and for the victory of Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu), they told him to resign immediately or risk jeopardising his political career in Kogi.
“According to them, they can all go back to Kogi for reconciliation talks if he agrees to withdraw from the deputy spokesman’s position but we told him not to be bullied into taking the decision and left,” he said.
As of the time of filing this story, news had filtered in that the National Chairman of the ruling APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, had called for a meeting at his residence and might address the media on the crisis soon.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State chapter of the APC has also released a statement dissociating itself from the candidacy of Mesoko.
The statement, which was signed by Kogi State APC Chairman, Abdullahi Bello, said that the choice of the deputy publicity secretary-designate did not emanate from the state.
While Ganduje led the NWC to do the right thing, Bello stressed that the move was a clear contravention of our party’s constitution by known agents of destabilisation.
The statement partly read, “Consequent upon the resignation of the two officers from the party, the Kogi State All Progressives Congress under the leadership of the Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, met to ratify and forward names of replacements for the national and zonal officers that left the party. The State Chapter ratified Hon. Yahaya Ade Ismail as the new Deputy National Publicity Secretary and Hon. Isiaka Musa as the Zonal Organising Secretary for North Central; and in line with the provisions of our constitution, communicated the ratified replacements to the National Working Committee through the North Central Zonal Chairman of the Party.
“To our dismay, the National Working Committee came up with strange names which didn’t pass through the State Chapter nor the North Central Zone of the party and purportedly went ahead to ratify them, citing “Presidency interest” as the rationale for their action. We strongly reject the action as we will not be parties to the blatant and flagrant violation of our party’s constitution.
“Our belief in Mr President as a man who respects the Constitution of our party and a man who believes in due process is unshaken in the face of the current confusion foisted on the party by people dropping the name of the President to achieve their selfish aims. We call on the National Working Committee of the Party to reverse the unconstitutional replacements done on our behalf without our ratification or approval, and revert to our ratified list as they occupy those offices on behalf of the State Chapter of our party.”
PUNCH
