Disquiet in APC, PDP over delegates lists for Kogi governorship primaries

A disagreement is brewing in the camps of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and People Democratic Party (PDP) over the delegates lists to elect governorship candidates for the Kogi election.

The governorship election in Kogi is billed to be held on November 11.

By using delegates to pick their flag bearers for the election, both parties appear to have opted for the indirect primary method.

At least 10 hopefuls seeking to clinch the PDP ticket have been screened. Dino Melaye, a former senator, is among the top contenders who have been screened by a committee of the party.

THE APC IMBROGLIO

Edward Onoja, deputy governor of Kogi; James Faleke, a serving house of representatives member; and Smart Adeyemi, senator representing Kogi west, are among those gunning for APC’s ticket.

The Abubakar Audu-Faleke political group in the APC has rejected the delegate system and opted for a direct primary election.

Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at a meeting with Abubakar Kyari, APC deputy chairman (north), the group alleged that a list of delegates sent to the national working committee (NWC) of the party is “compromised”.

Emmanuel Ocheja, leader of the group, said congresses have not been held to pick delegates.

“May we also note that nobody should deceive the NWC of the APC that the list of delegates submitted to the NWC for the 2023 Kogi governorship primary emanated from any delegate congress as none was held anywhere in the state,” Ocheja said.

“Towards this end, may we advise the NWC to tread with caution and resist any attempt by anyone to hijack the process of the governorship primary in Kogi state.”

Thereafter, he presented a petition on the matter to Kyari.

THE PDP SAGA

In the case of the PDP, TheCable understands that there are attempts to favour Melaye as the party’s flag bearer.

“There is a plan to allow Melaye to nominate 60 percent of the delegates,” an insider disclosed.

But elders and stakeholders in Kogi PDP have rejected the move and called on the national leadership of the party to allow only the “original” delegates list from the 21 LGAs of the state to be used in the primary election.

Meanwhile, Paul Ibe, media adviser to Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP, says his principal does not have a preferred candidate in the primary election.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ibe said reports suggesting that Abubakar has an anointed candidate are “false”.

“The attention of the former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar has been drawn to several media reports insinuating his involvement in the democratic process of electing the gubernatorial flag bearer for the Peoples Democratic Party in the upcoming Kogi State governorship election,” the statement reads.

“We wish to state categorically that such media reports are a false and gross fabrication. Atiku is a consummate democrat and the hallmark of his political struggles has been for the enablement of internal democracy in party politics.

“It is, therefore, absurd to suggest that Atiku has a preferred candidate in the primary election to produce the governorship candidate of the PDP in the Kogi State election — or any primary election, for that matter.

“For the avoidance of any doubts, Atiku Abubakar has no anointed candidate in the Kogi State primary election. He believes that the decision to elect the flag bearer of the PDP in the coming election in the Confluence State is the responsibility of the electors in that primary election.

“He, therefore, urges anyone amongst the candidates to desist from peddling influence with his name and, indeed, calls on the media not to lay prostrate to any blackmail against him.”

Ibe added that Atiku “believes that all the aspirants in the election are up to the task of flying the flag of our great party, the PDP and the electors should be given the unfettered rights to perform their constituted duty of electing the best person for the PDP”.

Additional reporting by Samuel Akpan