The influential Audu/Faleke political family in Kogi state has warned the national working committee of All Progressives Congress (APC) not to allow anyone hijack the governorship primary election in the state.
Speaking during a visit to the Senator Adamu Abdullahi-led NWC in Abuja, the group said the purported delegates’ list submitted to the party headquarters is fake.
The delegation led by Senator Dangana Ocheja, tasked the NWC to ensure a level playing ground for a free, fair, credible and transparent Kogi state governorship primary nomination process.
They posited that the fake list pushed forward as delegates for the Kogi governorship primary election are largely civil servants, insisting that no delegate congress was conducted in the state.
The group, which formed the fulcrum of Tinubu Support Group (TSG) during the last general elections, appealed for a level playing field for all governorship aspirants in Kogi state.
They warned the party’s NWC against imposition of candidate in the coming governorship polls as doing so would put the party at great risk during the election in Kogi state.
“We are here on this occasion to humbly and most respectfully draw your attention to the fact that the Kogi state APC Governorship primary process which has resulted in multiple litigations is highly flawed and compromised, a situation which has never been associated with your leadership.
“May we also note that nobody should deceive the National Working Committee of the APC that the list of delegates submitted to the National Working Committee (NWC) for the 2023 Kogi Governorship Primary emanated from any Delegate Congress as none was held anywhere in the state.
“Furthermore, we wish to inform your Excellency that we have it on good authority and it is verifiable that some of the names of delegates submitted on the list are serving civil servants (local government workers) who are not eligible as delegates by law and this could be a subject of litigation eventually.
“Towards this end, may we advise the National Working Committee to tread with caution and resist any attempt by anyone to highjack the process of the governorship primary in Kogi state.
“We passionately appeal to the National Working Committee (NWC) under your leadership to ensure a level playing ground for a free, fair, credible and transparent primary nomination process in the interest of the party. We have express confidence in your ability to ensure this as equity, fairness and justice has remained your hall mark in leadership”.
While expressing regrets for the decision of James Faleke to withdraw from the Kogi Guber poll, the group however said it is however committed to its resolve to ensure a proper restitution is made to the Audu/ Faleke political block in the interest of fairness.