Stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yagba Federal Constituency, Kogi State, under the aegis of the Yagba Progressive Element (YPE), have raised allegations that some political office holders in the state are using Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s name to create division within the ruling party.
Speaking with journalists in Isanlu, Yagba East Local Government headquarters on Thursday, the chairman of the group, Hon. James Adebayo, said that the identified politicians were allegedly pursuing a third-term agenda for a preferred aspirant.
Adebayo said that the people had planned to hold a political rally in Mopamuro on June 28 amidst criticism of the alleged ambition of a member of the House of Representatives to return to the National Assembly for a third term.
He explained that the move violates the longstanding rotational arrangement among the three local government areas in the constituency: Yagba West, Yagba East, and Mopamuro, which he said had fostered equity and inclusiveness in political representation.
The chairman of the group said that one of the political appointees of the governor had defended the move by saying that Governor Ododo was aware of the rally and mandated him to lead it in Mopamuro.
Adebayo said that while Yagba West had held the seat for 12 years, Yagba East is currently in its third term that will end in 2027, adding that the development had led to increasing demands for Mopamuro to take its turn in the next election cycle.
According to the group, the role of Fanwo has sparked deeper outrage, as he is being accused of backing Abejide’s ambition by stating that it aligns with Gov. Ododo’s body language.
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“It is unfortunate that instead of uniting the party, the governor’s appointee is deepening division by claiming to speak for the governor in support of an unpopular third term bid,” he said.
The concerned party members warned that dragging the governor’s name into the matter had not only disrespected the office but also threatened unity within the ruling APC in the constituency.
The group called on the governor to distance himself from the controversy and caution his appointees to refrain from actions that could destabilise the party and betray its core principles of fairness and justice.
They warned that promoting a rival party lawmaker’s agenda under the guise of APC solidarity could demoralise loyal members and weaken the ruling party’s structure across Kogi State.
According to the group, if such a move is not openly repudiated, it could be interpreted as official endorsement of anti-party behaviour from the highest level of government.
The group said that the alleged third-term ambition of the lawmaker is an affront to the rotational understanding in the area, saying that it could spell doom for party cohesion if not urgently addressed.
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