TWO groups of protesters yesterday stormed the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), protesting against and in support of Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
One group said Bello should not be allowed to fly the party’s flag in the November governorship election. The second group threatened to unleash mayhem on the rival group.
The anti-Bello group carried placards bearing various inscriptions, such as: “Second term ticket is a death sentence for workers in Kogi”, “We demand freedom from the diabolic and wicked GYB”, “Presidency, save Kogi from Bello”, “Bello, stop giving guns to our youth”‘, “GYB, where is our money”, “Give us direct primaries” and “Buhari, please stop Bello”, among others.
The protesters also enumerated the sins of the governor.
Speaking to reporters during the protest, the coordinator of Concerned APC members, Jubril Yusuf, said: “We are here to place before the Nigerian public the plight of the people of Kogi State since February 2016 when Yahaya Bello became the governor of the state. We have also come here to call on all men and women of conscience to put pressure on the leadership of our great party, the APC, to provide a level-playing ground for all aspirants on the platform for the APC governorship ticket.
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“This level-playing ground will be provided if the party organises direct primary for the governorship ticket. Since February 2015, payment of salaries and pensions has become optional and not a priority. As a result, workers and pensioners are being owed many months of salaries and pensions.
“It is only when workers are paid that other citizens in the state will be able to sell their goods and services. Consequently, the economy of the state is reeling on the ground. Many businesses have folded up and potential investors have been avoiding the state like a plague.”
Tragedy was, however, averted as pro-Bello’s men, in their numbers, stormed the secretariat with police patrol vans and other unmarked cars. This was after the anti-group departed the secretariat.
They threatened to unleash mayhem on anybody protesting against the governor.
They asked security details attached to the party’s national secretariat to caution against any further anti-Bello protest.
The pro-Bello group’s presence disrupted human and vehicular traffic at the entrance gate of the secretariat.
In Lokoja, APC support groups yesterday called on the party’s national leadership to allow direct primary in determining who flies the APC ticket.
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