There are indications that there is serious tension in the Kogi State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the party prepares for its governorship primary election slated for Lokoja Township Stadium, Lokoja, on Saturday, the 29th of August, as speculations are rife that notable chieftains of the party are pressure on some aspirants to step down.

The Kogi State governorship election comes up on November 21, 2015.

According to sources in the party, chieftains of the party, who feel the current number of aspirants, put at 28 is unhealthy for the party and may lead to crisis in the aftermath of the primaries, are appealing to some aspirants, considered as lightweights and others believed to be capable of playing the spoiler to step down.

A source in the party confided in DAILY POST that the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, alongside others have been making frantic efforts to ensure that the number of aspirants is pruned down to a manageable seven for a healthy primary election.

“Asiwaju Tinubu has been in Abuja since yesterday trying to see how to get some of the candidates to step down from the race. Having 28 aspirants for a single slot is considered unhealthy for a party that is trying to dislodge an incumbent Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governor in the state and it believed that everything has to be done to ensure that sanity is maintained”, the source said.

Asked why the party did not reduce the number during its screening exercise, the source said: “It would been arbitrary to do so since those certified were qualified to stand for election. The party can only disqualify a candidate if he is not qualified. Besides, doing so would have compounded the problem as those arbitrarily disqualified may turn around to work against the party out of anger.

“What is been done at the moment is a subtle appeal for some of the aspirants to step down. It is not an order but an appeal to common sense and in the overall interest of the party. Nobody will be forced to step down; it is not compulsory, but what the leaders are doing is to make sure things are done in a healthy manner,” he said.

To buttress the speculation that last minute clandestine meetings were ongoing to prune down the number of aspirants, none of the aspirants for Saturdays Primaries is in the state capital yet, as they are said to be held back in Abuja to attend to some important meetings.

Those contacted on the telephone by DAILY POST confirmed that they are still in Abuja and may arrive the state capital later Thursday night or Friday morning.

Also a visit to the Party’s secretariat near the Local Government secretariat in Lokoja shows that all may not be well as the secretariat looks more like a ghost town, with only a couple of low level staff seen milling around the almost empty car park.

One of the staff at the secretariat confided in DAILY POST that the state Chairman and Secretary of the party were out to attend to some important engagements. He however declined to confirm if they were away in Abuja for the alleged last minute meetings.

http://dailypost.ng/2015/08/27/kogi-guber-anxiety-as-apc-chieftains-pressure-aspirants-to-step-down-ahead-of-primaries/

Almajiri people's Congress (APC) shouldn't worry, "Buhari's body language" is coming to the rescue.

28 Candidates? What are they coming to do?

Well, nobody is stepping down o...i heard they paid some millions for the form, their money cant go in vain nah..unless compensation.

Dat madman call idris wada must go like Jonathan and prince abubakar audu will take ova

kestolove95:
Dat madman call idris wada must go like Jonathan and prince abubakar audu will take ova

lol, you really hate Wada! are you from Kogi state?

Come to think of it, i dont think there is Governor in Kogi state. My opinion though.

I pass through the state capital last week and i was like, is there governor in this state? This is a state that workers are not been paid salaries since last year and the governor is coming back for a second tearm. Cant he use the money for the election to pay the workers?

Politicians are really funny.

DONSMITH123:


lol, you really hate Wada! are you from Kogi state?

Come to think of it, i dont think there is Governor in Kogi state. My opinion though.

I pass through the state capital last week and i was like, is there governor in this state? This is a state that workers are not been paid salaries since last year and the governor is coming back for a second tearm. Cant he use the money for the election to pay the workers?

Politicians are really funny.

My mum worked with the state ministry of Education and till now she has not been paid for some months now.

Well, PDP Man sha and some people will keep defending PDP

SeverusSnape:
Almajiri people's Congress (APC) shouldn't worry, "Buhari's body language" is coming to the rescue.

did you really make any sense here?

You must be a PDP Man. By their words we shall know them. Always say the truth.

DONSMITH123:


lol, you really hate Wada! are you from Kogi state?

Come to think of it, i dont think there is Governor in Kogi state. My opinion though.

I pass through the state capital last week and i was like, is there governor in this state? This is a state that workers are not been paid salaries since last year and the governor is coming back for a second tearm. Cant he use the money for the election to pay the workers?

Politicians are really funny.

bro u'v said it all...kogi state don't have governor..if u see government house,go dia u will see girls hawking pure water,G-nut and all sort...very dirty state..paying corpers #800...na God go punish dat man

kestolove95:
bro u'v said it all...kogi state don't have governor..if u see government house,go dia u will see girls hawking pure water,G-nut and all sort...very dirty state..paying corpers #800...na God go punish dat man

like seriously #800 for corpers? Haba....thats the worse of it ooo

oluwaSmith1:


did you really make any sense here?

You must be a PDP Man. By their words we shall know them. Always say the truth.

u see yourself is anything wrong being a pdp man. Yeye apc man kawai. U wish pdp dies out of fear the party will roar back to life sooner than later. 52:48 was the split decision that brought buhari to power and the 48% are waiting for 2019 with those who now can see the scam in change.

tuniski:
u see yourself is anything wrong being a pdp man. Yeye apc man kawai. U wish pdp dies out of fear the party will roar back to life sooner than later. 52:48 was the split decision that brought buhari to power and the 48% are waiting for 2019 with those who now can see the scam in change.

i feal your pain my brother.....wait till 2019 thats if the party will not even die then...

As at today, PDP can not pay their staff o. Have u been to WADATA House recently? Its like a shadow.

oluwaSmith1:


i feal your pain my brother.....wait till 2019 thats if the party will not even die then...

As at today, PDP can not pay their staff o. Have u been to WADATA House recently? Its like a shadow.

Bad girl....your mouth...

oluwaSmith1:


did you really make any sense here?

You must be a PDP Man. By their words we shall know them. Always say the truth.

You must be an APC man, by their gullibility we shall know them. Lying liars.

DONSMITH123:


Bad girl....your mouth...

Like seriously, am from Kogi state and i knew the effect of Bad governance PDP Has caused in the state.

kestolove95:
Dat madman call idris wada must go like Jonathan and prince abubakar audu will take ova

Where did you get that information from?

So... just to read comments....

What a strange appeal.

They expect the ones with common sense to step down

so that the ones who lack common sense will be left to contest abi?

Yahaya Bello


Kogi needs purposeful and value-added leadership.

#Kogidecides

oluwaSmith1:
28 Candidates? What are they coming to do?

Well, nobody is stepping down o...i heard they paid some millions for the form, their money cant go in vain nah..unless compensation.

They are coming to see an ancestors.....

I like PDP no doubt but Wada is not only a failure to PDP but to himself too. I was transferred from abj to lokoja where I work n ever since I came I hv only asked one question. Do the Gov n commissioners and other top govt officials use the roads I see or do they operate from abuja or beta still Do they use helicopter.

In as much as I want APC to win in Kogi, Audu shudnt be given that chance again. Let it go to a younger generation. I support either Yahaya Bello or George Olumoroti

Long Live 9ja.

oluwaSmith1:


My mum worked with the state ministry of Education and till now she has not been paid for some months now.

Well, PDP Man sha and some people will keep defending PDP

As if you people are different or haven't you seen your likes defending cockroacha, Aregbese and amu-echi?!


Stop being a hypocrite na!

APC must thread with caution.
PDP has an upper hand in Kogi State.

Apc is the biggest scam, kwankwaso left kano with heavy
debt, fashola bankrupt Lagos, Aregbesola can't pay salary,
El rufa'i is holding workers salary for 2-3 months which
never happened under the umbrella administration, No
single good project in Edo but oshomole is busy insulting
and calling people thieves, Tinubu dictate for the whole
Yorubaland (except Ondo and Ekiti, Al makura snatched
Maku victory, Obasanjo the shameless old man is a hero
to brainless fools, Atiku is a Saint, Amaechi is a arch
Bishop, oba of Lagos is a Rascal, Ambode is a ball boy.
buhari is busy probing himself,tell me where's the so
called Change.

oluwaSmith1:
28 Candidates? What are they coming to do?

Well, nobody is stepping down o...i heard they paid some millions for the form, their money cant go in vain nah..unless compensation.

It is normal that if candidates / aspirants step down, they get some sort of compensation if they demand or in some cases, they are offered!

Smh