The crisis rocking the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a new twist as the Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, and Senator Florence Ita-Giwa take protests to the residence of the party’s National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
Earlier, some media outlets reported that Bello stormed the national headquarters of the APC on Thursday, hours before the inauguration of the new officers of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Governor Bello, who arrived at the party’s secretariat alongside his loyalists, went straight into the secretariat, and sources confirmed that his presence was to stop the inauguration of the new NWC members.
Governor Bello is insisting on the resignation of the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary-designate, Duro Meseko. Ita-Giwa also maintains her demand for an explanation as to why her candidate, Dr Stella Odey-Ekpo, was dropped for Dr Mary Idele from Edo State.
Recall that on Wednesday, the party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, disclosed the outcome of the NWC meeting held at the APC National Secretariat and the election of the new officials during a media briefing.
The new officials: Ali Bukar Dalori (Borno State) will serve as the deputy national chairman, North (North East Zone) to replace the Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari, while Garba Datti Muhammad (Kaduna State) will replace Salihu Moh Lukman as national vice chairman, North West (North West).
Ajibola disclosed that the NWC settled for Abdul Karim Abubakar Kana (Nasarawa State) (North Central Zone) for the position of national legal adviser as a replacement for his resigned predecessor.
He also announced Donatus Nwankpa (Abia State) as the new national welfare secretary (South East Zone) to replace the late Friday Nwosu. Additionally, Mary Alile Idele from Edo State emerged as the national women leader (South-South).
The ruling party equally settled for Duro Meseko (Kogi State) as deputy national publicity secretary (North Central Zone) to replace Yakubu Ajaka, while Ikani Shuaibu Okolo (Kogi State) takes the position of zonal organizing secretary (North Central).
However, the announcement of the elected officers from Abia, Kogi, and Cross River States threw the party into an unwanted crisis, as Bello claimed that the move of the Abdullahi Ganduje-led NWC is an apparent contravention of the party’s constitution by known agents of destabilization.
After the drama at the APC secretariat, the Kogi State governor stormed Ganduje’s residence at about 6.15 pm, following the abandoned inauguration of the National Working Committee zonal officers.
Prior to Bello’s arrival at Ganduje’s house, this platform gathered that Ita-Giwa, a former Senator for the Cross River South Senatorial District of Cross River State, was also present to query why her candidate was dropped.
Ita-Giwa, accompanied by the Chairman of Cross River APC, Adolphus Ogar, to Ganduje’s residence, told the press that “The position of the National Women Leader, previously held by Dr Betta Edu, has always been rotated between Cross River and Akwa Ibom. We don’t know why it was taken away from us.
“We urge the national chairman and the NWC to do the right thing.”
