‘Follow due process’ – Kogi APC tackles national leadership over ‘strange’ NWC replacements

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi has rejected the state’s replacements in the national working committee (NWC) of the ruling party.

The national leadership of the APC had named Duro Meseko and Ikani Shuaibu Okolo as deputy national publicity secretary and zonal organising secretary, respectively, as replacements in the NWC from Kogi (north-central).

Murtala Ajaka, former APC deputy spokesperson, had resigned from the party to pursue his governorship ambition in the Social Democratic Party (SDP), creating a vacuum in the NWC.

In a statement on Thursday, Abdullahi Bello, chairman of the APC in Kogi, said the national leadership of the ruling party should follow due process and the constitution in selecting the replacements.

“The State Chapter ratified Hon. Yahaya Ade Ismail as the new Deputy National Publicity Secretary and Hon. Isiaka Musa as the Zonal Organising Secretary for North Central,” Bello said.

“To our dismay, the National Working Committee came up with strange names which didn’t pass through the State Chapter nor the North Central Zone of the party and purportedly went ahead to ratify them.

“We call on the National Working Committee of the Party to reverse the unconstitutional replacements done on our behalf without our ratification or approval and revert to our ratified list as they occupy those offices on behalf of the State Chapter of our party.

“We have delivered Kogi State to the APC and the least we can expect is for the party hierarchy to continue to support us to achieve greater heights.

“The Kogi State Chapter of the APC therefore rejects the decision of the National Working Committee in its entirety and urges it to follow the constitution of our party and the due process our party is known for.”

Bello added that it is in the interest of the APC for Kogi to continually remain a stronghold of the party.