Worried by the dwindling political fortune of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, some stakeholders have urged the party’s national leadership to address the drift and reposition the party for future polls.
The stakeholders, under the auspices of Kogi Rescue Group, spoke on the heels of last week’s announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of November 2 date for the governorship election in the state.
In a statement by Alhaji Yusuf Mohammed Idah, they cautioned against using the results of the recently-conducted general elections to rate the APC in the state, adding that only the presidential election truly reflected the ruling party’s status in the state.
“The question is what is the status of APC in Kogi State today? During the general elections, it won seven House of Representatives out of nine in the state.
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“It lost West Senatorial and two seats of the House in the National Assembly elections, while the ADC and the PDP won the two seats in the House of Representatives in Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopa Amuro and Kabba Bunu/Ijumu federal constituencies. APC, however, won in Lokoja/Koto Federal Constituency. President Muhammadu Buhari also won the election in the state.
“In the state Assembly election, the APC won all the 25 seats available. The state Assembly elections were allegedly marred by serious violence. “In the elections, only the national elections were said to be free and determined on the basis of who was the candidate and not the party. The people voted for individuals that they know have done well within the communities and cared less about the party platform they contested on,” the statement said.
The stakeholders, who alleged that Governor Yahaya Bello had frustrated every effort to genuinely reconcile aggrieved members of the party, said that rather than incorporate members of the Audu/Faleke team that ensured victory for the APC, the governor appointed council chairmen, commissioners, SSG, SA and SSA all from PDP, who worked against the success of the APC.
“Remember that about three reconciliatory committees were set up and all the three met with Faleke and his team but Governor Yahaya Bello rebuffed the committees and nothing came out of the reports.
“The NWC on its part must as a matter of urgency call the old warring factions of James Faleke-led group and that of Governor Bello to a roundtable and agree on the way forward for the party in the state.
“This is the major consideration to bring to the table if the APC must win the forthcoming governorship election and subsequent elections,” the elders said.
