Youth leaders of the All Progressives Congress have accused unnamed leaders and stalwarts of the party of being behind the “persecution” of Yahaya Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
APC youths in a statement on Tuesday said Yahaya Bello was allegedly facing hostility from APC bigwigs for alleged politically-motivated grounds.
The youths from the 36 states of the country and the FCT, under the aegis of APC Youth Leaders Forum (AYLF), said it was worrisome that those who had contributed “immensely towards the development of the party as well as helped in securing the presidency which President Bola Tinubu enjoys today, have been singled out for persecution and undue harassment.“
In a statement jointly signed by the group’s National President, Alh Abdullahi Danbaba, and its National Secretary, Dr Chike Ihedioha, AYLF said some individuals were bent on bringing the party down over political “permutations ahead of the 2027 elections and their desire for political offices.”
AYLF, a youth mobilisation network registered with the APC national secretariat, said “From records so far on the ongoing case against Yahaya Bello, the former governor has been on the side of the law since the beginning of the case, being protected by the law all along.
“His achievements in Kogi are there for all to see within the period he was governor and there have been many testimonies to this fact. Those that are using the EFCC against him have forgotten that there are people that the EFCC should actually go after if we must sanitise this country that has been ignored.
“We must save this administration from ridicule by our detractors. Those who are afraid of one thing or the other before the 2027 elections are also sponsoring articles in the name of dubious APC groups to discredit the former governor. But Nigerians are not fools. They can identify genuine claims.”
Their statement said: “We have it on good authority that the endless harassment, persecution, and intimidation of Alhaji Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi State, by the EFCC is all politically motivated, stoked by those nursing 2027 agenda.
“It is worrisome that when the foot soldiers of the party should be rewarded handsomely for the several milestones achieved during recent elections, they are being hounded and branded as criminals by undesirable characters in the party. This is despite the achievements recorded in Kogi State that earned APC victory at both the presidential and governorship elections.
“Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna is another figure who has been marked to be rubbished by those who have contributed next to nothing to the growth of our party.
“This is the right time for the President to show leadership and stop these individuals from sinking this party because of politically motivated prejudice, hate and sheer wickedness,” the youth leaders said.
They further urged the immediate withdrawal of politically motivated corruption-related petitions before the EFCC, ICPC, and other anti-corruption agencies as a right step to put back the party on the right track.
“Let the EFCC do its job without being used to hound perceived enemies of a few influential people in the party.”
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