Faleke is Not Financing Our Party, Kogi APDA Chairman Replies Gov. Bello

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The Chairman of Advanced People’s Democratic Alliance (APDA), Kogi State chapter, Honourable Abdulmumini Ibrahim has described claims that the party is been sponsored by Hon. James Faleke as false.

In a chat with newsmen on Monday, Abdulmumini said the allegations made by Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello is a lame excuse for his glaring lapses.

Kogi State Governor, through his spokesperson, Kingsley Fanwo, while reacting to Faleke’s recent press release on his assurance that he will mobilize votes for President Muhammadu Buahri from Kogi state that will dwarf votes from Katsina state, had alleged that the former Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state is funding APDA.

Abdulmumini, however, said the governor is chasing shadows. He stated that APDA forbids financing from non-members.

“Governor Bello is crying wolf, he is chasing shadows. Our party, the APDA is a well rooted party. Though new, we are dynamically positioned to participate in all elections in the forthcoming general elections, and by the grace of God we will spring surprises.

“We don’t derive our finances from any APC member. Our channel of finances is defined and verifiable. APDA does not permit non-members to finance the party at any level. I make bold to say that Faleke is not a member of our party and is in no way funding our party. Anyway, if he chooses to join us, he is welcome and will be well celebrated.

“I am the state chairman of APDA and I state categorically that no individual is funding our party. The last time I had a close encounter with Hon. James Abiodun Faleke was during the last governorship election in Kogi state. I wonder how he is supporting the party. Governor Bello and his team should stop making mockery of governance. Governance is not as difficult as they make it to look, It is not rocket science,” he said.

Reacting to Governor Bello’s assurance that he will mobilize more votes from Kogi state that Buhari can get from his state, Katsina, Abdulmumini said it is a comic assumption. He said Governor Bello’s performance in Kogi state contradicts his assumed ability to lead APC to electoral success.

“In Abuja, he boasted that the votes for Mr. President from Kogi will dwarf the votes from Katsina in 2019. As an APC member, Faleke reacted to Governor Bello’s boasts to set records straight. However, which we in APDA did not see how Faleke’s anaysis will help us. It will rather compound issues for us in the Presidency and national leadership of APC will now buckle up and that will make our job in APDA difficult in the task ahead. We did not find Faleke’s analysis interesting. He told the President the crystal truth and showed the APC how to win. That will make our job in APDA harder to win next elections.

“We wish to state that there is no way votes from Kogi, under Governor Bello, can dwarf votes from Katsina State for Mr. President. The achievements of the APC controlled government in Katsina cannot be compared to that of Bello. Aside the factor of Mr. President being an indigene of Katsina State, facts and figures on achievements makes Governor Bello’s boast a mockery.

“On education, Katsina state has renovated and built standard classrooms in primary and secondary schools in the state that makes them comparable to the best in the country. Katsina state government pays WAEC, NECO and JAMB fees for students that pass the SS3 mock examination with five credits, including english and mathematics. This information is verifiable. If you pass with three credits, including mathematics and english, state government pays for your WAEC and NECO, excluding JAMB. For every indigent girl child, the state government offers special scholarship to encourage them. Students studying medicine and law are paid the equivalent of Level 7 officer’s salary from first year till end of their degree programmes. The state government equally pays tuition of indigenes in Law School. Further, the state government offers free and compulsory education from primary to secondary school. All these under the administration of Governor Aminu Masari. So, I wonder how a state like Kogi that is opposite of all that I have mentioned can generate votes that will dwarf the votes from Katsina state.

“There is this notion that people in core north don’t go to school and that is why their government spend so much on education to encourage them. Let me state clearly that Katsina’s enrollment in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions is higher than Kogi state.

“Katsina state government is not owing salaries and pensioners are been paid as at when due. Under current Governor Masari, Katsina state government has employed over 2,000 teachers and have retrenched one person! Staff promotions are done as at when due and they pay in accordance to that. Local government workers are paid as at when due. They are paid full salaries unlike what is obtainable in Kogi state. Salaries are paid on or before 25th of every month in Katsina.

“In Katsina state, each senatorial district has a standard specialist hospital built by the present government. In Katsina state, workers have never embarked on strike under the current administration. Tell me, how can Kogi votes for President Buhari dwarf that of Katsina? Do I need to talk about road construction and establishment of new primary health centres across Katsina?

“Katsina is doing all these with similar revenue to what we get Kogi state. In terms of statutory monthly allocations, Katsina gets a little above Kogi state but Kogi mops up more Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) than Katsina. So, if Katsina is achieving all these, Kogi should to.

“On voting strength, Katsina had 2,842,741 registered voters as at 2015 general elections. Katsina gave Mr. President a whooping 1,345,441 votes during the 2015 presidential elections. Help me ask Governor Bello how he intends to generate votes from Kogi that will dwarf Katsina’s when the total votes cast in Kogi state during the same 2015 presidential election was just 439,287. As at the time under review, total registered voters in Kogi state was 1,348,956. Compare this with Katsina’s electoral strength and you will discover how unintelligent Governor Bello’s boast is. or, is he insinuating that Buhari is longer popular in Katsina state?

“APC is performing in Katsina more than Kogi. What is Bello doing in Kogi state that will make people follow him to vote for Buhari?  Bello is making himself a laughing stock nationally,”he added.


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