- These are tough times for Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state as he seeks reelection
- The governor has been rejected by powerful stakeholders in the APC in the state
- The stakeholders say Bello's administration has brought negative impacts on the image of the APC in Kogi state
A civil society and good governance advocacy group sympathetic to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Confluence Rescue Mission (COREM), has stated that Governor Yahaya Bello is not popular among the electorates in Kogi state.
The group also appealed to the national leadership of the APC to take a critical look at the outcome of the screening of governorship candidates, saying it is the voice of the people and a strong indication of their leaning.
The KEEC had pruned down the candidates of the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to five aspirants.
Prince Mohammed Audu, son of a former governor of the state, late Prince Abubakar Audu, was endorsed for the APC ticket in Idah Federal constituency; Prof. Seidu Ogah (Ankpa) and former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Jibrin Usman (rtd) for Dekina/Bassa.
For the PDP, the elders anointed former president, Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Idris Omede (Dekina/Bassa), Dr. Joseph Ameh (Ankpa) and Elder Ubolo Okpanachi (Idah).
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COREM has since adopted Vice Admiral Jibrin Usman (rtd) and urged the APC to consider him to fly the flag of the party in the forthcoming gubernatorial election slated for November, 2019.
The publicity secretary of the group, Comrade Usman Seidu made the appeal at a press conference in Lokoja on Sunday, June 16.
He stressed that the result of the screening is a clear statement to the fact that Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin is the preferred candidate of Kogi East for the forthcoming election.
Comrade Usman stated that Vice Admiral Usman, given his competence, wealth of experience, knack for excellence and having scored the highest points out of over 40 guber aspirants screened by the KEEC committee.
The Vice Admiral, he said, is the best alternative to the incumbent governor whose tenure he said has been a disaster of epic proportions.
The group further elaborates on what it called the negative impacts the maladministration of Governor Bello has visited on the image of the APC in Kogi state.
“Governor Yahaya has lost popularity in Kogi state due to his high handed style of governance and overall incompetence which has ruined the perception of the APC in Kogi state.
“It is already a difficult task to change the perception of the people regarding the APC as occasioned by the unfortunate government of Yahaya Bello, it will be a disaster for the party to risk everything by handing him the ticket to run again.
“Yahaya Bello, having realised the difficult battle ahead, is already making illicit maneuvers with some APC elements towards the primaries. He will fail woefully.
“Vice Admiral Jibrin Usman is APC's best bet to repair the damaged image of the party and to lead Kogi state out of the quagmire of socioeconomic retrogression,” the group said.
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Meanwhile, Governor Bello had on Friday, June 14, declared that he will easily win the governorship election coming up in November with wide margin.
The governor made the comment while speaking to State House correspondents after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He stated that he had built a strong political base in the state and he is confident of winning the polls.
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Source: Legit
