Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has stormed the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja to protest the appointment of new members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Bello, who arrived at the secretariat in a convoy of cars, told journalists that he would not back down until the “mistake” was corrected.
“This issue must be sorted out today,” he said.
Security operatives have taken over strategic locations within and around the secretariat to forestall the breakdown of law and order.
The protest by Bello is the latest in a series of disagreements within the APC over the appointment of new NWC members.
Last week, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) ceded part of its powers to the NWC to allow the party’s administrative organ to fill vacant NWC and zonal positions.
The NWC subsequently elected six new members to its fold, including Ali Bukar Dalori (Deputy National Chairman, North), Garba Datti Muhammad (National Vice Chairman, North West), Prof. Abdul Karim Abubakar Kana (National Legal Adviser), Donatus Nwankpa (National Welfare Secretary), Mary Alile Idele, PhD (National Woman Leader), and Duro Meseko (Deputy National Publicity Secretary).
However, there is said to be a bone of contention with the announcement of Mary Alile Idele, from Edo State as National Women Leader (South South Zone), instead of Dr Stella Odey-Ekpo, the candidate of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu.
The party also picked Duro Meseko (Kogi State) as the new Deputy National Publicity Secretary (North Central Zone) to replace Yakubu Ajaka, as allegedly recommended by James Faleke against the candidate recommended by Governor Bello.
Following the developments, Edu was said to have stormed the party secretariat on Wednesday around 6.20 p.m. to protest the dropping of her candidate.
Early Thursday morning, the APC chairman in Kogi State, Hon. Abdullahi Bello said the names of the replaced party officials being circulated did not emanate from the State Chapter of the party.
Bello said, “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.”
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