The recent political pilgrimage by former Governor Yahaya Bello to Hon. James Faleke in Abuja and Lagos has sparked intense speculation among political observers. However, one fact remains undeniable: repeated visits to Faleke can not guarantee Yahaya Bello the APC senatorial ticket.
Politics is not a game of emotions; it is a game of interests, influence, and established procedures. Those celebrating these visits as a shortcut to the APC ticket may be confusing political consultation with political authority.
Ironically, this is the same Hon. James Faleke who stood firmly against the emergence of Yahaya Bello in the aftermath of the 2015 Kogi governorship election. The political disagreements between both camps were so profound that they ended in a legal battle. At the time, Bello and his supporters dismissed Faleke’s position and moved ahead without regard for his objections.
Today, the political equation appears to have changed. The same man who was once portrayed as an obstacle is now being projected as a potential political lifeline. Such dramatic reversals are not unusual in politics, but they raise an important question: When did Faleke become the gatekeeper of APC tickets?
Let it be clearly stated: Hon. James Faleke is not the APC National Chairman. He is not the APC Screening Committee. He is not the National Working Committee. He does not possess the constitutional power to award senatorial tickets to anyone.
Those attempting to create the impression that Faleke’s endorsement automatically translates into political victory are deliberately misleading the public.
The political history of Yahaya Bello within the APC further makes this narrative difficult to sell. During the 2022 APC presidential primary, Bello openly challenged the position of influential party stakeholders who supported the zoning of the presidential ticket to the South. He insisted on pursuing his ambition and later criticized the conduct of the primary election after failing to secure the ticket.
Having consistently challenged party structures whenever they stood in his way, it is surprising that some now want Nigerians to believe that a few meetings with Faleke have suddenly become the master key to the APC senatorial ticket.
The reality is simple: APC tickets are not souvenirs handed out during courtesy visits. They are products of party processes, internal negotiations, consultations, screenings, and ultimately, the decisions of the appropriate organs of the party.
No amount of political photo opportunities can substitute for these realities.
Those celebrating every visit to Faleke as if the ticket has already been secured should understand that politics is full of surprises. Today’s ally can become tomorrow’s rival. Today’s calculation can become tomorrow’s miscalculation.
The APC senatorial ticket is not Faleke’s personal property to allocate. It belongs to the party and will be determined by the party’s established mechanisms.
Political consultations are legitimate, but they should not be mistaken for political coronation.
– Comrade Ihiovi Mukhtar
APC Aggrieved Youths Movement,
Kogi Central.
