Kogi APC crisis deepens: Melaye, others unveil new platform to challenge Gov Bello

AHEAD of the All Progressives Congress (APC), National Executive Committee meeting, in Abuja on Tuesday, the crisis rocking the Kogi State chapter of the party deepened on Monday.

Certain leaders of the party at a press briefing unveiled a new platform, Safe Kogi Project (SKP) to challenge what they called the excesses of the State governor, Yahaya Bello.

The membership cuts across parties divide in the State. In the coalition are Senator representing Kogi-west senatorial district, Dino Melaye, Senator Muhammed Ohiare, Senator Atai Aidoko, Dr Arome Salifu, Comrade Kabir Tijani, Hon Tom Ohikeru, among others.

Director General of the group, Comrade Friday Sani said genuine party leaders and elders in the state were not happy that the economy of Kogi State has been run aground under the APC administration.

He further expressed disaffection over “a messy situation, where the government has become directionless, aimless and lack commitment to the people and the future of the development of the state.”

“Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State is just simply failing on a noble responsibility and his anti- peoples conduct in Kogi state must be addressed and corrected for the future benefit of our people, the Save Kogi Project is, therefore, a child of circumstance. It is devoid of political party sentiment, tribal and religious differences,” Sani stated.

Senator Melaye who is Chairman, the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the group accused the national leadership of the party of supporting illegality of Governor Yahaya Bello.

“It is sad to note that instead of carrying out developmental projects in Kogi State, the governor has been parading and using the name of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, thinking the name of the President is a special immunity. The name of Muhammadu Buhari is not, will not and can never be immunity for any governor.

‘’It is sad that he doesn’t even know who Muhammadu Buhari is. Buhari will not support killings, stealing, and when the time for prosecution comes, I want to believe that his lawyers will use the name of Muhammadu Buhari to defend himself in the court. But I want to say that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and indeed the leadership of the APC that have kept mute on all the negative wicked manifestation of Yahaya Bello are the ones that are fueling crisis in Kogi State.

“The party has shown that there is no discipline in the APC. The life of a member of APC, a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was attempted twice, there was no statement by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) on this matter.”

He further declared that the coalition was determined to halt sales of the State assets by Governor Bello.

“We have never had it so bad, we had never had so terrible in the history of Kogi State when they have not even built any project.

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“The projects they inherited, they are about to sell, but God forbids, we shall not allow Yahaya Bello to sell our common patrimony and heritage, we shall not allow him to sell Confluent Beach, we shall not allow him to sell our liaison office in Abuja, we shall not allow him to sell commissioners’ quarters, we shall not allow him to sell the house of Assembly quarters, no project or heritage of Kogi State will be sold by Yahaya Bello.

‘’We will die on this matter, we will fight and make sure that we tame this prodigal son who has come to take us back to the land of Egypt.’’