Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has assured all members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of their safety. He said all members are welcome to participate in the party congresses.
Bello gave the assurance while reacting to claims by the Audu/Faleke group that his government has hijacked the congress.
Reacting to the allegations, Kingsley Fanwo, the Director General Media and Publicity to the governor, said members of the Group have lost touch with the people and they don’t even know the true situation of things in the party.
Describing them as “diaspora politicians”, Fanwo also said they have stayed away from the party since Bello assumed office, and failed to participate in its activities.
“Those people making the allegations, we need to ask them where they have been in the last two and a half years,” Fanwo said.
“They have stayed away from and abandoned the party. They have not contributed anything to the party. They have not been holding meetings even with party members. All these are in Abuja. They don’t go to Kogi state. They are permanently in Abuja.
“They know they are going to fail because the people have rejected them so they are already cooking up excuses to cover up for their own failures.
“They have constituted themselves into the category you can call diaspora politicians. So, for them to now say it is the governor that has made them so unpopular to the extent that they cannot come and face their party member during the congresses is quite unfortunate.
“It would have been more honorable for them to tell the world they have lost touch with the party and the people, rather than hold on to the foam of lies that can take them no where.
“As the leader of the party in the State, the Governor will ensure due process is followed. He is a man who believes in justice and fairness.
“The Audu/Faleke Group supervised a terrible round of congresses four years ago. The Governor won’t do that. The Audu/Faleke Group supervised the most fraudulent primaries in the history of the party and Kogi State in 2014. Candidates were imposed in the crudest of forms. Governor Yahaya Bello will not do that. Transparency is our watch-word. Moreover, our National Headquarters will send a Committee to oversee the Congresses. Kogi is safe.
“The Governor was not aided into office by thugs. He doesn’t believe in violence. Let them come and participate. Kogi is peaceful,” he said.
James Faleke, running mate to the late Abubakar Audu in the 2015 governorship election in the state, had advised his supporters against participating in the congress.
