Governor Bello is beatable under indirect primaries, say Kogi APC aspirants

Coalition of Kogi All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirants yesterday faulted the notion that Governor Yahaya Bello is in good stead to emerge flagbearer of the party under the indirect primaries mode.

Spokesperson of the group, Edime Amade, who briefed reporters at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, said they had the capacity to garner delegates’ votes than Bello who is believed to have firm grip of the structure of the party in the state.

Amade, flanked by no fewer than 36 governorship aspirants, supported the decision of Adams Oshiomhole-led APC to use indirect primaries mode to select the party’s governorship aspirant for Kogi State.

The coalition described a band of 20 governorship aspirants who last week opposed the use of indirect primaries mode as paid agents of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who were allegedly keen on undermining the prospect of the APC ahead of the November 16 governorship poll.

According to the group: “We are shocked because some of the individuals who came here as aspirants seeking the party’s ticket were openly working for the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) up to the last round of elections just three months ago.

“It is also clear to anybody who is on ground in Kogi State that the real aim of their so-called aspirations is to destabilise the party from within as we go into the 2019 Kogi State governorship election.

“In fact, pretending to be aspirants is just the latest weapon in the arsenal they have consistently attacked us with. It is on record that since the emergence of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as governor, the party has suffered many things at their hands. Court cases, media attacks, ethnic sentiments, religious bias, and even violence. The NWC must not allow them to pull the wool over her eyes now.”

“It must be stressed that historically, the APC in Kogi State has always adopted indirect primaries and it has always worked for her. In 2015, indirect primaries produced the late Abubakar Audu (may his soul rest in peace). In 2019, indirect primaries gave us two out of three senators, seven out of nine House of Representatives members and 25 out of 25 State House of Assembly. Why do they want to change a winning formula so late in the game if they do not have sinister intentions?

“Contrary to the clear and express directives of the NEC and NWC of our great party which have approved and re-affirmed indirect primaries for Kogi APC based in the guidelines, these so-called aspirants came here on Monday trying to dictate direct primaries for us. All we can say is that these men have become the arrowhead of a demonic plot to push the APC into costly mistakes, which will cost her the November election and hand Kogi State over to the opposition. We will not allow that.”