Governor Yahaya Bello's quest to secure his party's ticket ahead of the governorship election billed to take place in November has suffered another setback as the Kogi state Chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC has denied endorsing him for the second term.
Some members of the State Executive Council, led by the party’s secretary, Mr. Salam Adejo, spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday. Adejo said while it was true that party executives and those that worked for Bello in 2015 had a discussion with him on Saturday in Abuja, the issue of endorsement was not part of the meeting’s agenda.
“Our discussion ended on the need for peace so that the party could move forward. He said he needed sincere peace and we agreed on terms. There was nothing like endorsement.
“The governor, at the meeting, requested that the case in court against him be withdrawn. We told him there were some processes to be followed. The issue of withdrawing the case is subject to another negotiation.
“We did not endorse anyone and we are not planning to. The party’s ticket is open to everyone in the party. The party has its own criteria on what it wants from a candidate. If someone has performed well or is an achiever, it will speak for him.”
Some stakeholders in the party are reportedly mounting pressure on the national working committee of the APC to deny Bello the ticket. They claimed that the governor has underperformed and could be voted out if the party insists on fielding him in the elections. They raised issues including nonpayment of salaries and pension arrears as well as failure to develop and improve the living standard of the people.
Meanwhile, the Governor has intensified efforts to retain his position. Last week, first class traditional rulers in the state met with the President in Abuja where they reportedly endorsed him for a second term.
