National Financial Secretary of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Reverend Emmanuel Olorunmagba has described the endorsement of the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November Kogi governorship election, Usman Ododo, by his political party as a big scam.
Olorunmagba, the NRM House of Representatives candidate for Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency of Kogi State in the February 25, 2023 election, in a statement issued to newsmen on Wednesday, stressed that the entire structure of the party know nothing about the endorsement.
He added that perhaps an individual has taken advantage of the APC gubernatorial candidate.
“Therefore, if any individual claimed to be endorsing a candidate for an election that the party structure knows nothing about not to talk of being in support, then the candidate so claimed to have gained the endorsement has been scammed, big time.
“In fact, as the national officer of the party, NRM who is from Kogi State, I was shocked when I read the news on Facebook captioned, ‘2023 Kogi Guber: APC swallows 5 political parties on the march to November election’, because that was the first place I saw it, two days after the jamboree called endorsement. As I read it on Facebook, I copied it and sent to eight (8) of our national officers (members of the NWC of NRM) to find out if there was anything like that, or if there was any meeting either of the NWC or the NMC, the highest ruling body of the party that I was not part of, where such a thing was discussed and agreed. They were also all shocked to have read such a sham as none of them had any prior information until they read it from the link I sent to them. And it was never discussed nor agreed in any meeting in any way,” he said.
Adding that if there must be an endorsement of any candidate, the party structures have to be in the know because any kind of endorsement by any individual without the party structures giving it a nod, to vote and work for such candidate is a big scam.
“No individual or two persons can claim to be endorsing a person on behalf of a party without others working in the same direction. Such can only be for media hype and nothing more,” he pointed out.
According to Olorunmagba, neither the national body of NRM, nor the Kogi State chapter is part of such endorsement of APC gubernatorial candidate for Kogi State.
“If the party will later endorse any candidate, all hands will be on deck. All national and state officers will be adequately carried along, so that those of us from Kogi State can all work as a team, mobilising our entire circle of influence to deliver block votes for the candidate so endorsed.
“The most annoying is the caption that APC swallows five political parties in Kogi State and listing NRM as part of the parties so purportedly swallowed. Let’s get this straight, no party swallowed NRM that I am a National Officer and NRM is not for swallowing.
“In conclusion, anyone or group of persons in APC dealing with anybody claiming to be coming for any kind of alliance or endorsement on behalf of the party, National Rescue Movement (NRM) has allowed himself to be cheaply scammed.
“As a National officer of the party, NRM from Kogi State and a candidate of the party in the last election, I have the responsibility to clear the air on the misinformation and put the record straight to the public. Those who want to play politics are advised to avoid certain propaganda that can be easily exposed,” he added.
In the news last month, a group under the aegis of United Progressive Political Parties endorsed the candidate governorship candidate of APC in Lokoja. All Peoples Party (APP), Africa Democratic Party (ADP), Boot Party (BP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) declared the withdrawals of their parties and candidates from the forthcoming November governorship election.
The group, led by the candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Mallam Abdulgafar Dirisu, declared that it has resolved to align with the ruling All Progressives Congress and endorsed the candidature of Ahmed Usman Ododo the APC.
Those in attendance at the press conference held in Lokoja on July 29 were Onaji Sunday, APP candidate; Prince Yahaya Mandal, Kogi ADP Chairman; Muhammed Kabir Umar, Boot Party candidate; Bala Abdulgafar Dirisu and Honourable Fatimah Suleman, Zenith Labour Party candidate.
