PRESS STATEMENT: WHY WE ARE BOYCOTTING KOGI APC CONGRESSES
The Audu/Faleke Political Organization has watched developments since Governor Yahaya Bello assumed office, (even though he was imposed on the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State by the National Secretariat of the party as Governorship Candidate to inherit the votes our group toiled day and night for several months to garner during the last governorship elections), It was expected that the young Governor would have taken no winner no looser position in building a united political family, but he refused to use that management tactics. We have come to an unimpeachable conclusion that the Governor does not want unity within the party.
The governor apparently came into office with a pre-determined agenda to emasculate the Audu/Faleke Group, the proverbial goose that layed the golden eggs that the same governor is enjoying today.
It is the same story with the State Executive Committee of the Party. The governor came into office and wasted no time in floating a parallel Exco in the State, setting up confusion here and there.
It is instructive for the general public to note once again that the resounding victory recorded by the APC in Kogi State during the last Presidential, National Assembly and Governorship elections were spearheaded by the Audu/Faleke Political Organization till we lost our leader, Prince Abubakar Audu to the cold hands of death. Alhaji Yahaya Bello was then busy working for the success of a rival political party, the PDP. He did not even vote during the elections.
As a result of the crisis within the Party, the National Leadership took some steps to restore sanity back to the APC family in the state by setting up the first Reconciliation Committee led by chief Tony Momoh. Our group cooperated with the Panel with full optimism that reason would prevail and sanity would be restored back to the party, but how wrong we were. The governor frustrated the whole process. The outcome of the Panel did not see the light of the day. Not satisfied, the National Working Committee of the Party set up another high-powered panel headed by Gen Idris Garba Rtd. We equally attended the Committee’s sessions on way forward for our party. Alas, again, nothing came out of the Committee no thanks to the uncooperative attitude of the Governor.
Now that the Party,s Congresses are here, the Governor true to type has hijacked the whole processes, handing over the Ward Congresses to his LGA Administrators to compile names from wards to LGA.
Since he appointed those Administrators, the Governor has been using them to function virtually as alternate party Excos, while refusing to fund the authentic APC Exco at all levels. The Audu/Faleke organization has been the body funding the party and the Excos at all levels till date. Little surprise why original Kogi APC members are more united with Audu/Faleke group till date.
The National leadership of the party has also not lived up to expectations in most cases regarding Kogi issue. For instance, the letter from the National Secretariat of the party on the organisation and conduct of the congresses was handed over directly to the Governor instead of the leadership of the State Exco. Reports indicate the various Sole Administrators have concluded the lists they drafted as incoming Ward Exco members already.
SECURITY OF LIVES
We have on good authority that thugs are being armed to attack any of our members considered not to be GYB member in all the venues of the congresses.
In view of the above therefore, the Audu/Faleke Political Organization hereby direct our members across the three Senatorial Districts in the State not to risk their valuable lives to participate in any of the congresses beginning from this week’s Ward Congresses.
We learnt on good authority that very harmful weapons would be deployed at the various venues to keep us away from participating so it is better for us not to put ourselves in harm’s way.
We urge our members to stay at home.
Having waited till today for a pronouncement from the National Leadership of the party on the various reconciliatory efforts that have yielded no fruits for which none came, we have come to the inevitable conclusion to stay off harm by boycotting the charade.
But let it be put on record that the recent Recall exercise in the state remains a pointer to what the future holds for our party except we urgently put our house in order.
A tree, they say, does not make a forest.
Thank you.
Signed:
Hon Duro Meseko
Director, Media and Publicity
