Kogi East APC leaders accuse Gov Bello of political witch-hunting, anti-party

By Christiana Ekpa

The All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders under the auspices of Kogi East APC Leaders Forum, have accused governor Yahaya Bello of a political witch-hunting and blackmailing of top APC leaders from Kogi East.
Yahaya Bello was also accused of anti-party activities, by empowering some individuals from the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to take charge of critical positions in the state.
Leader of the group, Akwu Umar Goodma, during a press briefing, at the APC Media Center in Abuja on Saturday, said that, Kogi state governor is trying to impose another Ebira to continue ruling the state.
“Here we are, Governor Yahaya Bello selected Hon. Simon Achuba, the former majority leader of the State House of Assembly under Governor Ibrahim Idris, a full-fledged PDP member as his Deputy Governor, until the cookies crumbled and they remain at logger head till this moment.
“He followed the sequence by appointing PDP members as Commissioners, Special Advisers and Caretaker Chairmen of LGAs. Up till this moment about 80% of his cabinet members are PDP extraction”, Akwu claimed.
The group also said that after the 2015 Kogi state APC gubernatorial primary election that produced late Prince Abubakar Audu, Bello left to support the opposition (PDP) against APC in the state.
Akwu further condemned the statement made by governor Bello, referring to the newly elected State House of Assembly as terrorist.
“The declaration of the Honorable Members of the State Assembly as Terrorist to persecute them and the suspension of Chairmen and a party stalwart and a leading Governorship aspirant for that matter, was hastily done without recourse to due process, better still party constitution.
“It is like the case of given dog a bad name just to cut-off the head.
“The whole exercise was borne out of envy, jealousy and hatred for the rising political profile of Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, the kid on the block.”
The group however urged Abdullahi Adamu, APC chairman to intervene and rescue the party from collapsing, adding that, they belief Adamu will use his vast experience to proffer solution to the lingering issue and halt the suspension of some party stalwarts, chairmen of the party and a leading gubernatorial candidates.