APC chieftain urges action on controversies trailing Kogi gov. primary

By Richard Elesho

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC and former member of Kogi State House of Assembly, Nathaniel Ojo Taiwo, has appealed to the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party to take a second look at the controversies trailing last Friday’s governorship primary of the party.

The former lawmaker made the appeal on Sunday at a media interaction with journalists in Lokoja, the state capital.

Nathaniel said the Friday 14 April primary meant for the election of APC flag bearer in the November governorship election did not hold in many places and at best fraught with irregularities in others.

He called on the party leadership to investigate complaints coming out from the exercise in the interest of the party.

He also appealed to APC members not to take the law into their hands, but to explore available options within the party machinery to address their grievances.

Nathaniel recalled that in his Okebukun Ward of Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area LGA, enthusiastic party members were disappointed after enduring long hours and waiting in vain for electoral officers.

He recalled that Senator Smart Adeyemi eventually won in a landslide in the make up poll, organised by the ward leadership.

He described the result trending in the media awarding victory to former Auditor General of LGA, Usman Ododo as a charade, insisting that the party must follow due process and take steps to strengthen internal democracy in the party.

“Governor Yahaya Bello is someone I respect so much, having demonstrated so much love and support for Senator Smart Adeyemi in the past. One is, however, shocked that he, along with Governor Matawalle of Zamfara State and Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon supervised the so called Kogi gubernatorial primary of our party.

“They said it was going to be direct primary, which ordinarily means all registered party members will vote. Later they started speaking English talking about financial members. One is a loss about these things. Why do you do things like this if you have no skeleton in your cupboard?

“With the use of BVAS, things are no longer as usual with our election. My party needs to address the issues. I appeal to every aggrieved person to follow due process, before jumping to the court,” Nathaniel cautioned.