Don’t tamper with Kogi APC exco, Melaye, Kadri, others warn Oyegun

AHEAD of today’s meeting of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) National Working Committee, (NWC) stakeholders in Kogi state chapter of the party have warned the national chairman of the ruling party, Odigie Oyegun not to contemplate dissolution of the state executive.

Tribune Online gathered that speculation was rife in the state that the Chief Oyegun led national working committee will today at an emergency meeting announce the dissolution of the leadership of the state chapter.

Tribune Online further gathered that certain chieftains of the party led by Senator Alex Kadri stormed the party national secretariat on Monday to prevail on Chief Oyegun to shelve the move to dissolve the party executive.

At the end of a closed door meeting with the national chairman of the party, leader of the team,  Senator Kadri told newsmen that the Chief Oyegun has assured them that the  state leadership would remain intact.

‘’We met with the national chairman and his team, the conclusions arising from our meeting are as follows: that the NWC wouldn’t tamper with the executive of APC in Kogi state. ‘’That’s very important to us; we got that affirmation from the chairman that it isn’t not in the agenda of their meeting for tomorrow (today). He assured us that the executive of APC in Kogi state, at all levels wouldn’t be dissolved.

There is a procedure for dissolutions of executive at state level, even at national level.’’ Prodded further by newsmen on what would be the next step by the stakeholders if the national working committee renege on its promise and eventually announced dissolution of the state chapter, Senator Dino Melaye declared that it would never happen.

‘’It is impossible for the national working committee to do that. Only the NEC is empowered by the Constitution to do that. If they do that, we know what to do.’’

Speaking further, Senator Kadri dismissed the move to recall the senator representing Kogi west, Senator Dino Melaye as a fruitless exercise, as he vowed that the APC leaders across the state would resist it.

‘’All the former senators in the party have resolved to support the only senator representing our party in the Senate, Dino Melaye. We believe we must preserve the only APC senator in the Senate. You have dead peoples’ names in the recall register asking for Senator Melaye’s recall. People who do not have Permanent Voters’ Card, (PVC) to vote were there and I hope you remember that total votes cast for all those who ran for senate for Kogi West in the last election came to about 133,000 but those who claimed to have signed petition to withdraw Senator Dino Melaye from the national Assembly are around 188, 000 thousands. It is an exercise in futility. He has done us proud and we will stand by him. ‘’

The party stakeholders further demanded for the implementation of the recommendations of the Tony Mommoh reconciliation committee, as they noted that it would go a long way to restore peace and sanity in Kogi state chapter of the ruling party.

‘’It isn’t our intention to destroy APC. Politics is a game of interest and relevance across the world. If our interest isn’t protected, there is no point being there.’’

Meanwhile, the national working committee has said that no decision has been taken on the crisis rocking its Kano state chapter.

National publicity secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi in a statement denied media report of the removal of chairman of Kano state chairman, Alh Umar Haruna Doguwa.

The statement read in part: ‘’The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to some media reports that the Chairman of the Kano State APC chapter, Alhaji Umar Haruna Doguwa has been removed from office.

‘’We wish to state that in respect of Kano, no such decision has been taken by the NWC. Although, we are aware of issues in the Kano State chapter, efforts to find lasting solutions to the problem are ongoing.

‘’In view of this, the status quo is maintained until the ongoing process is completed.

‘’Party members, stakeholders, leaders and indeed the general public are advised to disregard the false reports.’’