Kogi APC: Rancour over no-confidence vote

GBENGA  ODOGUN examines the remote and immediate incidents that led to the ongoing face-off between the executive of the All Progressives Congress in Kogi State and Governor Yahaya Bello

Rising from an emergency  meeting  to review  the performance  of Yahaya  Bello since he assumed the Office of the Governor of Kogi State on January 27, the state executive  committee  of the All progressives  Congress last week passed a vote of no confidence in the governor after expressing frustration over what they regarded as lopsidedness in the appointments he made so far. The executive also promised not  to have anything to do with him again.

This development confirmed earlier speculation of schism in the Kogi APC fold and brought to the fore issues that had been bedevilling the party for some time now.

Signs of cracks in the ranks of the state chapter of the party first came to light last month with the need to replace the former Minister of State for Employment and Labour Matters, James  Ocholi (SAN), who died  in a crash along the Kaduna – Abuja  Expressway, with another candidate from the state.

Sources disclosed  to SUNDAY PUNCH that the Presidency’s request  for replacement might have pitted the governor against his party as he was accused  of trying to bypass the party executive in sending the name.

In a letter to the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the state executive accused Bello of giving power back to the opposition Peoples  Democratic Party through  the back door .

Party leaders in the state alleged that all the 45 appointments so far made by the governor were in favour of the PDP and that he chose the appointees without recourse to the party or consultation for inputs of any kind.

“The state governor is not carrying the party structure along in his policy directions, appointments and general governance,” a communiqué issued at the end of the executive meeting stated.

Among  others, the state APC alleged that the governor had continually  marginalised  the party, adding  that “we are in power but still in opposition.” But Bello swiftly said he had the right  to make appointments without recourse  to any group, provided the appointees were qualified.

Events, however, took a new dimension last Monday  when  the youth wing of the party gathered  at the Nigerian Union of Journalists’ Press  Centre to dissociate themselves  from the position of the state executive. Instead, the youths declared  their total support  for Bello.

The youths, who claimed to be from all the 21 local  government areas of the state, took turns to speak at the rally, insisting that Bello remained the only option as the Governor of Kogi.

The APC youth leader from Kogi-West, Seidu Dauda, said they were in total support  of the governor, who  preferred appointment of youths in positions of authority as opposed to the elderly people who they described as  unapproachable.

The zonal youth  leader of APC in Kogi-Central, Abubakar  Ohiwe, who  also spoke, said the youths were solidly behind Bello  and had  therefore  decided  to endorse  him  to continue as governor.

“It is a lie for anyone to say we are all involved in the purported vote of no confidence. They have used the youths as instrument of destruction for too long and we are saying, enough is enough,” he stated.

The youths  therefore  passed a vote  of confidence  Bello and urged the governor to continue with his reforms.

As if that was not  enough, another  group  rose from  another  meeting  last Tuesday to denounce the vote  of no confidence passed in Bello, alleging  that the state APC executive was out to obstruct the good governance planned for the state by the governor.

The group blamed a member of the House of Representatives and deputy governorship candidate of the APC in Kogi, James  Faleke’s  group  as the facilitator of the meeting  where  the decision  to pass the vote of no confidence in the governor was taken.

The Deputy State Woman Leader, Deborah Isiguzo, who read out the communiqué issued by the group, berated the state chairman of the APC, Hadi Ametuo, as a script.

Isiguzo described as absurd claims that the governor had noting to do with the party since he assumed office.

The group said, “We want to put it on record that even before he became governor, he had contributed greatly to the campaign of his Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, which led to the success of his election in the state.”

On the allegation that the governor had been appointing his classmates,  business associates and PDP members, the deputy woman leader asked if it was a crime for the governor to decide to bring indigenes who could  do the job from anywhere.

Meanwhile, the Kogi chapter of the PDP warned the APC to leave it out of the crisis rocking the ruling party in the state.

The state PDP Publicity Secretary, Bode Ogunmola,   said the APC was behaving like a dying dog fastening its teeth to any nearby object.

He said, “They should concentrate on providing dividends of democracy to the citizens. We urge our opponent to always dwell on facts when playing their games and stop toying with the intelligence of Kogi people.”

Speaking on the vote of no confidence passed in Bello by the state leadership of the APC, the Chief Press Secretary  to the Governor, Kingsley  Fanwo, described it as unfortunate.

He said Bello had been fair in his appointments and handling of party affairs. He added that the governor would continue to work with the party leadership to actualise the change agenda of the APC.

Fanwo said “It is not true that the governor made 45 political appointments. Some appointments are purely professional and only people who are competent in those fields are capable of discharging such roles effectively. The majority of those appointed are APC members, while many others are not politicians but technocrats who can drive the ‘New Direction’ agenda of the present administration.

“The governor deserves commendation for assembling a team that is already delivering great services to the people of the state. The Yahaya Bello administration has relegated mediocrity to the back seat. We need to drive Kogi to work and for it to work, round pegs must be in round holes without prejudice to fairness and equity.”

Fanwo urged the APC to continue to appreciate the good image the governor was giving the party in the state, boasting that no living politician had contributed to the success of the party in the state as Bello, even before he became governor.

“The Kogi Youths Arise Group was one of the vehicles used by the APC to root out the PDP from the state in 2015. The group was formed and solely funded by the governor. The governor sponsored many APC candidates in the election with his resources, despite not occupying any political position before that time.

“He won’t be distracted. Opponents should give up their antics and join the train of change,” Fanwo added.

He further said Bello had no association with the PDP since his belief in the ideology of the APC was “unwaveringly impeccable.” He urged the people of the state to discountenance the allegations as “baseless, untrue and unfortunate.”

The Director, Centre  for Human  Rights And  Conflict  Resolution,  Abdul Miliki, said it would be in the interest of the APC not to overheat the polity in Kogi.

He added that if the allegation of not running  an inclusive  government levelled against the Bello was true, it would be better for the governor to have a rethink since he derived his power from the party.

Miliki said, “By virtue of both the constitution and the Electoral Act, no governor today can emerge without going through a political party and any decision must be made after consulting with his party.”

He described the vote of no confidence by the party executive as a mere pronouncement and an attempt to get noticed, which would fizzle out with time.

Miliki said internal wrangling within the APC would not benefit the people of the state, while advising the party hierarchy and the governor to sheathe their swords and concentrate  on providing  good  governance for residents of the state.

Kayode  Ajulo, a  legal  practitioner and public affairs commentator, dismissed the Kogi APC executive as unserious, arguing that if they were, more serious measures could be taken against the governor if truly he had erred.

He said, “As it is, the (Kogi) APC as the ruling  party has not shown  any sign of seriousness here. If truly they are serious  and are convinced  that the governor had committed an impeachable  offence,  the state executive should have mobilised  all members  of the party  and impressed it upon their legislators  to start  impeachment  procedure  against  him.

“They did not do that and they have not followed the constitution of the land, hence, their vote of no confidence is of no effect, null and void. Even if they pass it 200 times, it is of no value and effect and they are just wasting their time.”