The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello and some other leaders of the All Progressives Congress have taken their protest to the residence of the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje to press home their demand for the immediate resignation of Deputy National Publicity Secretary-designate and National Women Leader-designate, Duro Meseko and Dr Mary Alile Idele.
Bello and his entourage left the party secretariat for the home of the national chairman at about 6.15 p.m. on Thursday after the planned inauguration of the National Working Committee zonal officers was abandoned.
Prior to his arrival, former Senator for the Cross River South Senatorial District of Cross River State, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, who was earlier spotted at the party secretariat had led another protest delegation to Ganduje’s residence.
Ita-Giwa, who was accompanied by the Chairman of Cross River APC, Adolphus Ogar, were said to be furious.
While demanding to see the national chairman, she was said to have demanded an explanation on why the nomination of former Cross River State Commissioner for Local Government, Dr. Stella Odey-Ekpo, for the position of National Women Leader was dropped for Dr. Mary Alile Idele from Edo State.
Ogar told journalists that, “The position of the National Women Leader previously held by Dr Betta Edu has always been rotated between Cross River and Akwa Ibom. We don’t why it was taken away from us.
“We urge the national chairman and the NWC to do the right thing,” he said.
The development is coming after Bello stormed the national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress in Abuja with his loyalists ahead of the inauguration of the new zonal officers of the party’s National Working Committee.
Hours after his arrival, a number of Kogi lawmakers from the Senate and House of Representatives were also seen joining him.
Although Ganduje and the National Secretary of the party, Senator Ajibola Basiru, were absent, officials of the secretariat could be heard discussing in hushed tones that the Kogi governor was obviously there to disrupt the inauguration.
“Bello and those lawmakers just coming in are here for just one reason – to ensure this inauguration doesn’t hold. Of course, we are all aware that his nominee, who was the ex-Special Adviser on Water Resources in Kogi, Yahaya Ismail was dropped in favour of Hon Duro Mesoko for the position of Deputy National Publicity Secretary.
“This same Bello was with Ganduje at his residence last night. Despite the explanation by the chairman that Mesoko was given the position to compensate Hon James Faleke for withdrawing from the Kogi governorship primary and for not making Tinubu’s ministerial list, Bello insisted that he won’t be cowed into accepting the deal,” a source at the secretariat told our correspondent.
The intimidating presence of Bello and his team of loyalists seemed to also trouble supporters of Mesoko, who sat quietly at the media centre with the embattled deputy publicity secretary-designate as many of them kept urging him to remain calm as they waited patiently for the swearing-in ceremony.
While the waiting game continued, an emissary came to invite Mesoko for a meeting with the governor.
Barely 30 minutes after their closed-door meeting, the delegation came out of the secretariat fuming that they wouldn’t accept the deal.
When The PUNCH accosted one of Meseko’s supporters, he said, “Just imagine the way the governor and those lawmakers were harassing him. They wanted to know why he didn’t turn down the appointment when he was offered.
“But when Hon Meseko insisted that he deserved it having worked for the party at the State level and for the victory of Asiwaju, they told him to resign immediately or risk jeorpadising his political career in Kogi.
“According to them, they can all go back to Kogi for reconciliation talks if he agrees to withdraw from the deputy spokesman’s position but we told him not to be bullied into taking the decision and left,” he said.
As of the time of filing this story, news has filtered in that the National Chairman of the ruling APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has called for a meeting at his residence and may address the media on the crisis soon. (PUNCH)
