The vote of no confidence passed by a faction of the All Progressives Congress’ State Executive Committee on the Governor of the state, Alh. Yahaya Bello may have landed the State Chairman of the party in hot waters as groups continue to react to the development.
The faction had alleged that the Governor appointed 45 PDP members as Special Advisers and that the Governor was responsible for the loss of the party in the National Assembly rerun elections in the state. They also claimed the Governor has been responsible for the upheavals in the State House of Assembly.
To cap their letter to the National Executive Committee of the party, the faction advised the President not to consult the Governor before appointing a replacement for the late Barrister James Enejo Ocholi who died in a ghastly accident last month. The late Ocholi was the Minister of State for Labor and Employment.
In a swift reaction, the Youth Leaders of the party in all the wards, Local Government Areas and State joined their women leaders counterparts across the state to condemn the action of the State Executive Committee. They passed a vote of confidence on the Governor.
Also, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kingsley Fanwo said the vote of no confidence was an orchestrated attempt at painting the state black by people who “could not comprehend the gains of the New Direction of the present administration in the state”.
Fanwo said the Governor went through party machineries to appoint capable and competent hands into his cabinet.
His words: “I have looked at the three main planks of the letter and wish the State Executive Committee had handled the issues differently. The Governor should be hailed for making fairness and equity the guidelines for his appointments. He appointed 21 Special Advisers, one from each Local Government Area.
“The Governor’s team is what a 21st century leader needs to excel. It is a chemistry of professionalism, competence, dynamism, maturity and exposure. Many of the appointees were recommended by party chieftains and they are surely not PDP members. Even the state chapter of the PDP has come out to tell the world that their members have not taken appointments from the Governor.
“Secondly, the Governor shouldn’t have been blamed for working against his party in the National Assembly rerun elections when the Appeal Courts had barred APC candidates from contesting. APC candidates were disqualified because the courts said the party didn’t follow the Electoral Act in nominating it’s candidates. Members of SEC should tell the world what happened to the processes leading to the emergence of APC candidates prior to the 2015 elections and stop derogating the Governor.
“On the House of Assembly issue, I believe it has been over-flogged. The problem started a long time ago before the advent of the present administration. The members had accused Hon. Momoh Jimoh Lawal of corruption and high-handedness. So how does his predicament connect with a Governor who believes in the rule of law and separation of powers?
“Anyone accusing the Governor of not supporting the party is economist of truth. Before he became Governor, he was responsible for the payment of the rent of the party office from where the purported vote of no confidence was drafted. Before he became Governor, he bought them a brand new bus aside many financial supports and sponsoring of party candidates.
“A senior official of the party once openly canvassed for the emergence of Momoh Jimoh Lawal, a PDP legislator, as Speaker during inauguration. Such people have shown divided loyalty to the ideology of the great party. The President reserves the right to choose whomever he so wishes to work with and the Governor will work with anyone nominated as Minister by Mr. President”.
An impeccable source informed our reporters that the National Executive Committee of the party is uncomfortable with the action of State Executive Committee.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said the State Chairman of the party, Mr. Haddi Ametuo may be sanctioned by the party. The source said some senior officials of the party see the action of the Chairman as confrontational and an attempt to further strain relations within the party.
“The State Chairman mismanaged the whole situation. It is an act of disloyalty to pass a vote of no confidence on your own Governor on allegations that could be managed even if true. It is quite unfortunate. We are looking at it. Sanctions cannot be ruled out entirely”, the source said.
To worsen the situation, many members of the SEC have come out to dissociate themselves from the vote of no confidence.
The State Youth Leader of the party popularly known as Arewa told newsman that the Chairman acted without consensus. He said the youths in the party are “solidly behind the Governor”.
“The Chairman and a few other members of SEC cannot sit somewhere and be disgracing our party. The Governor has justified the mandate of the party so far and we are solidly behind him”, he said.
