By Fidelis Ali.
Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Olamaboro local government area of Kogi State on Saturday unanimously resisted attempts to lure them into the All Progressives Congress (APC) by Atai Aidoko Ali, the former Senator representing Kogi East.
Aidoko had summoned a meeting of party stalwarts and stakeholders at his country home in Ugbamaka-Iga to persuade them to join him in defecting to the APC on the grounds that after playing opposition politics with all its deprivations and difficulties in the last eight years it was time to join the ruling party.
The former Senator told the meeting that he was expecting a top political appointment through the influence of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio who he claims is his personal friend and one time colleague in the Senate.
He promised to use the appointment to help those who agree to decamp with him and support the governorship candidate of the APC, Mr Usman Ododo.
He said the only reason he could miss the appointment is if he failed to join the APC and urged the party stalwarts to join him in decamping enmass to send a strong message that the LGA is now totally APC.
But speaker after speaker at the meeting rejected his proposal and accused him of promoting his selfish over the general interest.
A former Vice Chairman of the LGA, Mr Sunday Agala accused the ex-Senator of ingratitude and greed for wanting to abandon the PDP on which platform he enjoyed 16 years membership of the National Assembly, serving two terms each in the House of Representatives and in the Senate.
“Sir in this 16 years, apart from your direct siblings that you positioned in juicy and lucrative jobs and in the armed forces, we don’t know anyone in this LGA who you helped to gain employment even as a messenger pr cleaner. May be you can tell us.
“Now, you want us to follow you as a crowd to the APC to boost your rating because you are looking for appointment. If you couldn’t help anyone in 16 years what will you be doing for us now?,” Mr Agala challenged the former Senator.
Signs of trouble manifested early when a former two term member of the House of Assembly, Hon Zakari Ohemi confronted the Senator on a recent viral picture of himself, the Governor of the State, Mr Yahaya Bello and the APC Governorship Candidate, Mr Usman Ododo.
Hon Ohemi said the viral picture thoroughly embarrassed party members from the LGA because the Senator is seen by outsiders as the leader of the party in the area. He told Aidoko that if he was thinking of supporting the APC candidate he should purge himself of such treacherous thoughts.
The meeting which started at about 4:00pm came to a rowdy end two hours later when every speaker rather than endorse the Senator’s proposal attacked him for his self serving political record which never affected the people or the area positively.
