•Bello hailed for wading into rumoured suspension claim
Ahead of November 11 governorship election, a socio-political group, Kogi Elite Forum for Democracy has drummed up support for the candidacy of the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Yakubu Murtala Ajaka.
The group’s spokesperson, Dr Abdulazeez Nuhu Adeiza stated this in Abuja at the weekend. He was reacting to the rumoured suspension of Ajaka from the party.
Adeiza, expressing the group’s unflinching support and passing a vote of confidence in the candidacy and personality of the APC chieftain, described those behind the rumoured suspension plot as mischief makers who are out to destabilise the party.
He described Ajaka as a trailblazer and inspirational leader whose commitment to the development and overall progress of the ruling APC in Kogi cannot be dwarfed.
Dr Abdulazeez recalled that Yakubu Ajaka donated 46 cars to boost the party’s campaign activities in Kogi State.
He said Ajaka’s logistics support helped the party’s campaign coordinator to reach every community in the state, adding that the result was the overwhelming victory that the party’s Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other APC National/state assemblies’ candidates got in Kogi.
He also recalled the humanitarian gestures of the APC chieftain, who out of the milk of human kindness and concern for his people, donated N70 million to Kogi flood victims to provide succour for them during the 2022 devastating flood disaster.
Abdulazeez said the party hierarchy and indeed, the good people of the state would not forget such kind gestures in a hurry, adding that Ajaka will receive his reward of loyalty and dedication to service in due time.
The group has praised Governor Yahaya Bello and the APC for coming out to clear the air on the said rumoured suspension of the APC chieftain.
The party denied the reports making the rounds that it suspended the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Murtala Ajaka.
Ajaka’s Ward Chairman, Omale Danladi, denied authorising any letter.
In a sworn affidavit deposed to at the Kogi State High Court, Danladi said at the late hours of March 23, he was informed of a purported letter of suspension alongside a document containing names and signatures of party’s Ward Executive members purportedly at the meeting where the decision to suspend Ajaka was reached.
He said the entire content of the said letter was fake, urging the public to disregard it.
In the same vein, the governor, wading into the matter, warned against bickering that can undermine the peace and unity that the APC has been known for under his leadership.
The governor, in a statement by the Information Commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo, directed all aspirants in the forthcoming governorship primaries to focus on their strengths in wooing party members and refrain from divisive tendencies in the interest of the party.
“Our party will ensure a fair playing ground for the best candidate to emerge in the primary election and together we shall win the governorship election, with a wide margin, in November”, the governor said.