26th March, 2023
By Emmanuel Mogbede
The Kogi East APC Leaders Forum on Saturday in Abuja condemned the recent labelling of some members of the State House of Assembly as terrorists by the State Government.
Mr Citizen Goodman, one of the leaders of the forum, while briefing newsmen in Abuja said the suspension of some of the party’s stalwarts, including Muritala Ajaka was done without due process.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ajaka is the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary in the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and a frontline Kogi governorship aspirant.
Goodman alleged that the suspension of Ajaka was borne out of envy, jealousy, and hatred because of his rising political profile.
“It is like the case of giving a dog a bad name just to cut off its head, the whole exercise was borne out of envy, jealousy and hatred for the rising political profile of Ajaka, especially and others,” he said.
He noted that the declaration of Suleiman Musa, representing Idah, Daniel Rayin of Bassa Local Government Area and Muktar Ibrahim, representing Ibaji Constituency as terrorists were the greatest acts of injustice and hatred.
“We, the Igala people in Kogi are seriously injured and stigmatised by this pronouncement, we condemned it in entirety and reject completely the appellation,” he said.
Goodman described as mission impossible, the alleged plan of Gov. Yahaya Bello to ensure that his successor comes from his part of the state in the upcoming Nov. 11 Kogi Governorship election.
He added that politics was a game of numbers in which the majority always carries the day while the minority had their say.
He said the forum would support Ajaka’s governorship aspirations no matter what, adding that he was the hero of the APC’s success in Kogi East and by extension Kogi State at large.
He praised Ajaka for his financial support and fiscal roles in the party and stated that the state would have suffered a serious setback without him.