APC headquarters, Abuja

Richard Elesho

The Kogi State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the National Working Committee, NWC of the party are daggers drawn over the filling of vacant posts in the party. On Wednesday, news reports of the appointment of Hon Duro Meseko as Deputy National Publicity Secretary and Ikani Shuaibu Okolo as Zonal Organising Secretary were making the rounds.

The new beneficiaries were still receiving congratulatory messages when the state chapter rejected the appointments because they are unconstitutional and did not emanate from them. Kogi State APC Chairman, Abdullahi Bello, in a lengthy petition he fired to Abuja, demanded immediate reversal of the appointments.

He traced the genesis of the vacancies and how the state EXCO nominated replacements which were now turned down, by people he accused of dropping the President’s name and influence.

His letter reads in
part:

“Consequent upon the resignation of the two officers from the party, the Kogi State All Progressives Congress under the leadership of the Governor, His Excellency Alh. Yahaya Bello, CON , met to ratify and forward names of replacements for the national and zonal officers who 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. We have delivered Kogi State to the APC and the least we will expect is for the party hierarchy to continue to support us to achieve greater heights.

“The Kogi State Chapter of the APC therefore rejects the decision of the National Working Committee in its entirety and urges it to follow the constitution of our party and the due process our party is known for. We are confident that the interest of the party is for Kogi State to remain a stronghold of the APC, especially now that we march towards November 11 to retain the state.