A chieftain of the ruling All progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Oguche Onu says the decision to placate the Igala speaking people with the choice of the ministerial nominee would not in anyway stop them from voting against the party in the November governorship poll in Kogi state.
Onu argued that the nomination of Shuaibu Abubakar Audu was not in the best interest of supporters of the APC in the Kogi East senatorial zone where he hails from.
Onu argued that the decision to placate the Igala speaking people with the choice of the ministerial nominee would not in anyway stop them from voting against the APC in the November governorship poll in Kogi state.
According to him, the Igalas are at a crossroad at the moment and very unhappy with the APC after the just concluded gubernatorial primaries, adding that it is imperative that they have the right leadership at the national level.
”I have been keenly following the activities of the APC since the emergence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to see if he is going to right the wrong of lopsidedness in the reward mechanism of the party.
“But I was disappointed with the wrong selection of the nomination from my dear State, Kogi State, no one can argue with the fact that the Late Prince Abubakar Audu deserves to be rewarded for all his effort in bringing APC to Kogi State but my argument is that the right Audu should be picked.
“The late Prince has a daughter, Maimuna Audu, who is a business woman and astute legal practitioner who handled most of his businesses when he was alive.
“He also has a son Mustapha Audu who has been played an integral role in the APC right from the formation before the late Prince demise.
”I am very curious as to how and why the party decided to selecte Shuaibu Audu, simply because the Late Prince Audu has offsprings that are better suited to help elevate the Igalas.
“I am of the opinion that Shuaib was deliberately selected because he is seen as the weaker politician less of a threat to the Ebiras that have decided to hold the state to ransom.
“It is believed that Mustapha is more like his father, dogged and principled and he has earned his stripes politically too, standing on the side of the people.
“The Igalas have already made up their mind not to vote the APC in the upcoming elections and this ministerial appointment may further solidify that decision.
”Some of us were almost killed in 2014, 2015 because of the APC and it is very painful to see that when we finally get a chance of representation at the national, the Audu Political family and critical Igala stakeholders were not even consulted.
“All of Audu’s children are our children but we know who will represent us better.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu promised to bring fresh ideas for renewed hope which everyone believes would reflect from his selection of Ministers by ensuring fairness, equity, and justice, how then can the President only defer to our oppressor to pick on our behalf?
“If APC does not correct these ills I don’t see the party retaining the state in the upcoming elections,” he said.
