By David Lawani
The Audu/ Faleke political structure in Kogi State has appealed to the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Secretariat to as a matter of fact allow for direct primary in the state so that a level playing field would have been seen to be given to all eligible aspirants for the Governorship position in the state.
In a visit to the National Secretariat of the party led by Senator Emmanuel Dagana Ocheja on Tuesday, 4th April, the group noted that until the party thread with caution, it might be opening its flanks for more litigation despite it is already saturated with plethora of courts cases.
The body said caution must be exercised so as not to create more crisis by the party by allowing just an individual to hijack the process saying the party through its structure was able to wrestle power from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in 2015 saying any attempt to allow the party experience more crisis might spell doom for it.
According to him: ” We advised the National Working Committee, NWC, to thread with caution and resist any attempt by anyone to hijack the process of the Governorship primary but ensure a level playing ground for a free, fair, credible and transparent primary nomination process in the interest of the party.
” The group warned that to allow those who benefited from the injustice of 2015 to hijack the 2023 Kogi Governorship primary nomination process at this time may amount to double tragedy capable of stretching the crisis beyond the limit to breaking point and it may put the party at great risk of loosing the 2023 Kogi state Governorship election.
” It further wishes to inform the national working committee on good authority that some of the names of the delegates submitted on the list are serving civil servants across the state local government councils who are not eligible as delegates by law and this could be a subject of litigation.
” The Audu/Faleke political structure calls for a direct primary for Kogi 2023 Governorship elect, if it is good for Bayelsa, it is also good for Kogi state. The group also demand the display of the ward register of members as allowed by law so that party members can identify themselves, this is to also stop the emergence of strange ward registers”, he stated.
The group however said it is worrisome what could have been the justification behind the National Working Committee, NWC, the decision to adopt the different mode of primaries for Kogi and Bayelsa in the same election.
“Because what is before the National Working Committee now requires Congress. If anybody can tell me the list and until the authority discloses the list that there was Congress before the names of the delegates were written to Abuja, then I will circle but there is no I can tell you as an insider. Okay, so then we are left with an option. I know the work in the National Working Committee, there are men of integrity, and they will not do otherwise.
“They will not like to feel bad because I’m sorry. If we don’t get direct, that means we’ll just sit down. We’re told not to go and do anything because we don’t believe in a cause. We cannot give any support to it. We don’t believe in indirect. The only way is direct. Generally, indirect is bad, but they need to avoid it. We do not believe in it.
“We are not going to support it in any form. Unless it is seriously reviewed or we go to direct. This is what we’re saying. So if no direct Sorry, I’ll not leave the party by all of us. Nobody will leave the party because it belongs to APC, but I will be afraid. I am afraid APC will not go anywhere. So let that not be our case. In God’s name”, he explained.
