Bello, others storm APC secretariat over NWC membership concerns

.Kogi chapter demands immediate reversal of appointments

Hundreds of aggrieved All Progressives Congress (APC) members, yesterday, stormed the national secretariat of the ruling party in Abuja to oppose the choice of Mary Alile Idele as National Women Leader.

The Edo indigene replaced Dr. Betta Edu, who was recently inaugurated as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs by President Bola Tinubu.

A section of the protesters also expressed misgivings over the appointment of Duro Meseko as Deputy National Publicity Secretary.

Among the high profile marchers is Governor Yahaya Bello, who felt shortchanged by the endorsement of Meseko as a replacement for Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, the candidate of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the upcoming governorship election in Kogi State.

An ally of the President and House of Representatives member, James Abiodun Faleke, is believed to have sponsored Meseko for the post.

Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, touted to have led the protesters, later met behind closed doors with the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Umar Ganduje, on the matter.

Sources say Giwa argued that the position of women leader ought to have been filled by Stella Odey-Ekpo, the preferred candidate of critical stakeholders in Cross Rivers State.

The situation forced the police authorities to deploy dozens of armed personnel to disperse the agitators.

At 1:00 p.m., the security operatives cordoned off the main Blantyre Road connecting the national secretariat of the party to restore peace.

It was, however, unclear as at 2.22p.m. whether the new NWC members were sworn in as scheduled by the party’s leadership.

Other appointees unveiled by the National Secretary, Senator  Ajibola Basiru, during a media briefing on outcome of the NWC meeting held yesterday in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), included Deputy National Chairman (North East), Ali Bukar Dalori, from Borno State.

Others are: National Vice Chairman (North West), Garba Datti Muhammad of Kaduna State, who replaced Dr. Salihu Lukman.

The party also picked Prof. Abdul Karim Abubakar Kana, a Nasarawa State native, as National Legal Adviser (North Central Zone), while the seat of Zonal Organising Secretary (North Central Zone) went to Ikani Shuaibu Okolo from Kogi State.

Meanwhile, the Kogi chapter of the APC Congress has demanded immediate reversal of the decision.

It contended that the appointments never had its blessing.

A statement issued by state party chairman, Abdullahi Bello, accused ‘agents of destabilisation’ of being behind the plot.

The party noted: “Consequent upon the resignation of the two officers (Deputy National Publicity Secretary and Zonal Organising Secretary) , the Kogi State All Progressives Congress, under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello, met to ratify and forward names of replacements for the national and zonal officers that left the party.

“The chapter ratified Yahaya Ade Ismail as new Deputy National Publicity Secretary and Isiaka Musa as Zonal Organising Secretary for North Central.

“In line with the provisions of the party’s constitution, it communicated the ratified replacements to the National Working Committee (NWC), through the North Central Zonal Chairman of the party.

“To our dismay, the NWC 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 a party to the blatant and flagrant violation of our party’s constitution.”