Fresh tension has gripped the Kogi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the APC Women Inclusive Forum (WIF) linked the current crisis over the National Assembly primaries to the alleged Senate presidency ambition of immediate past Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
In a strongly worded statement on Friday, the forum alleged a strategic plot by the former governor to clear a path for his entry into the Senate with the ultimate goal of becoming Senate President.
The statement, signed by the forum’s spokesperson, Oyiza Joy Simon, said Bello—who recently sought the APC presidential ticket—has shifted his focus to the National Assembly, a move the group said is destabilizing the party’s internal structure in Kogi State.
According to the forum, part of Bello’s roadmap involves ensuring that the current Senators from Kogi West and Kogi East do not receive return tickets.
The group alleged that Bello sees these experienced legislators as obstacles to his personal dominance and to any eventual bid for leadership in the 10th or 11th National Assembly.
“The facts are now clear,” the statement said. “The former governor is back in the political trenches, not for party growth, but to satisfy a personal ambition to lead the Senate. To achieve this, he has moved to block the return of our most experienced and performing Senators, despite their massive contributions to the party’s victories and to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s success in the last elections.”
The forum further alleged that Bello is aware of the Senate’s ranking rule, which prioritizes returning members for leadership positions. The group claims he is therefore working to ensure that only new, loyal faces emerge from the APC primaries, and is reportedly reaching out to prospective aspirants from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the North to secure fallback alignments.
“Bello believes he can bend the established rules of the National Assembly to his favor. His desperation has led him to reach out to elements outside the party, including likely ADC aspirants, to facilitate his move into the Senate,” Oyiza Joy Simon said.
Beyond internal maneuvering, the forum warned of a planned media campaign. It alleged that the former governor has prepared a coordinated effort of blackmail and character assassination against prominent National Assembly members from Kogi State, whom he sees as loyal to the incumbent Senate leadership.
“As part of his plans, he is set to commence a media onslaught against some of our most prominent National Assembly members. He views anyone with a strong standing in the Senate as a threat and has vowed to use propaganda to diminish their influence,” the statement said.
The forum warned that these actions, if unchecked, could trigger a massive backlash against the APC in Kogi State. It argued that sacrificing experienced lawmakers with significant grassroots support would be “political suicide” for the party and urged the APC National Chairman and the Presidency to intervene.
“Asking our current Senators to step aside now would undermine the party’s future. They have proven their loyalty to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda,” the statement concluded.
The battle for Kogi APC legislative tickets appears poised to be among the state’s most contentious in recent history.
