The Kogi State chapter of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) has passed a
vote of no confidence on the state
governor, Yahaya Bello, accusing him of
sidelining members of the state
executive council and other organs of
the party in the affairs of the state.
The state executive council of the party
met in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital on
Monday, April 11 and part of the
outcome of the meeting was to forward a
letter to the national headquarters of the
party detailing the many “sins” of
Governor Bello.
In a letter dated April 12, 2016, and
addressed to the National Chairman of
the APC, John Odigie-Oyegun and signed
by all the 34 members of the state
executive council, the Kogi APC accused
Mr. Bello of sidelining members of the
governing party and hobnobbing with
members of the opposition Peoples
Democratic Party.
They accused Mr. Bello of failing to
appoint even a single card-carrying
member of the APC, saying “all the 45
appointments made so far by His
Excellency Gov. Yahaya Bello are given
to the PDP”.
Members of the Kogi State House of
Assembly are currently involved in
leadership crisis with two members
claiming the office of Speaker.
The House of Representatives also
recently passed a resolution to take over
the affairs of the House after efforts to
reconcile the state lawmakers failed.
The APC exco accused Mr. Bello of being
the source of the crisis in the House.
Members of the executive council also
passed a resolution in the meeting to say
“from now henceforth, we will have
nothing to do with the government of
Yahaya Bello”.
Part of their request to the national
leadership of the party was that Mr.
Bello should not be allowed to have a
hand in producing the next ministerial
nominee from the state to replace the
late James Ocholi, who died recently in a
road accident along Abuja/ Kaduna
expressway.
The party chieftains advised the national
secretariat and the presidency to work
with the state party leaders in
appointing a replacement.
When contacted, the Kogi state APC
publicity secretary, Ghali Usman,
confirmed the meeting and the decision
taken.
He said the only time the state exco met
with Mr. Bello “was before his
inauguration when he went to collect his
certificate of return”.
He however, added that “since then we
have no idea of what is happening in the
administration.
“The governor asked us to submit all we
need before his inauguration which we
did in writing, but he has since ignored
our list and continued to appoint PDP
people”.
The Exco members also accused Mr. Bello
of working with the opposition PDP in
the recent re-run elections in the state.
“An APC governor who supported the
PDP in the last re-run election making us
to lose two senators, one House of Reps
and two House of Assembly members, an
APC governor who has not deemed it fit
to appoint a single APC member in his
cabinet and board, an APC Governor
who openly relates with PDP Local
Government Chairmen and leaders and
abandon his party men is not our best
dream project,” they said.
Resistance to change
In his reaction, Governor Bello said
members of the party executive in the
state were resisting the change he was
bringing to the state.
Speaking through his spokesperson,
Kingsley Fanwo, on Saturday, Mr. Bello
said his administration was “not
unaware of some political chess play
among members of the State executive
committee of the party in the state.”
He said the circumstances that brought
the governor to office were “surely
unusual. Therefore, unusual reactions
are expected”.
Mr. Fanwo said whatever might be going
on within the state executive council “is
surely a contagious effect from the
politics of interest within the party
leaders in the state.
“We expect the state executive
committee of the party to keep working
with the leadership revolution that is
reshaping the state to ensure rapid
development,” he said.
While insinuating that the running mate
to late Abubakar Audu, James Faleke, is
behind the party’s decision, Mr. Fanwo
said both “Faleke and Governor Yahaya
Bello are members of the change family
and no one should allow himself to be
caught in the political crossfire playing
out in the state.”
Mr. Faleke is presently at the state
governorship election tribunal
challenging the emergence of Mr. Bello
as governor.
Mr. Bello emerged as governor after
inheriting the bulk of the votes scored by
the late Mr. Audu and Mr. Faleke in the
election held last year.
Mr. Fanwo said Mr. Bello was committed
to working effectively with the
leadership of the party.
He added that the governor appreciates
the role of the leaders of the party in
ensuring the resounding victory of the
APC in the state.
“Now that APC is in firm control of the
state, it is foolhardy to think party
leaders won’t bury their differences to
deliver solid dividends to the Kogi
people.
“It is absolutely untrue, ignominious and
unintelligent to insinuate that members
of the State Executive Committee of APC
are working at variance with the
landmark progress of the APC
government in the state.
“The SEC of APC is aligning with the vox
populi that has continued to hail the
fairness, boldness and dynamism of the
present administration in Kogi State.
With the train of the New Direction
already taking Kogi to new destinations
of hope, the party must be very proud of
the laudable programs and policies of
the Yahaya Bello administration in the
state.
“We also urge those stoking the flame of
discord from outside the state to believe
in the judiciary and stop their war
which has continued to fail. Kogi has a
new government and hope is here.
“The people and the party have
confident in their Governor to continue
to stir the state to the confluence of
opportunities and possibilities.



www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/201896-apc-passes-vote-no-confidence-kogi-governor-yahaya-bello.html