Ganduje swears in Duro Mesoko, Okolo, others, despite Kogi’s protests

Despite protests led by Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State to the national secretariat of thr All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja on Thursday, the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje on Friday administer the oath of office on Duro Meseko and Ikani Shuaibu Okolo as Deputy National Publicity Secretary and Zonal Organising Secretary respectively.

Meseko and Okolo, both from Kogi State were sworn in on Friday, the party said in a post on Saturday.

The Kogi State chapter of APC had also released a statement dissociating itself from the candidacy of Meseko.

 The statement, which was signed by Kogi State APC Chairman, Abdullahi Bello, said that the choice of the deputy publicity secretary-designate did not emanate from the state.

As a followup, on Thursday, the governor and his loyalists stormed the national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) hours before the inauguration of the new officers of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

After the arrival of governor Bello, some Kogi lawmakers from the Senate and House of Representatives also joined him.
The inauguration could not hold as a result of the protest.
However on Friday, after some reconcilliation Ganduje administered the oath on newly-elected members to fill vacant National Working Committee (NWC) and zonal positions.

“National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje during the inauguration at the National Secretariat on Friday charged the new members to join efforts to achieve Party reforms, ” it said
Ali Bukar Dalori replaced Abubakar Kyari as deputy national chairman (north). Kyari was appointed minister by President Bola Tinubu.
While Garba Datti Muhammad replaced Salihu Lukman as the party’s vice-chair in the north-west, Abdul Karim Abubakar Kana replaced Ahmed El-Marzuk as national legal adviser.

El-Marzuk resigned from the NWC.

Mary Alile Idele replaced Betta Edu as the national women leader. Edu was appointed minister by the president.

It was gathered that Bello was with Ganduje at his residence on Wednesday when the national chairman explaned that Meseko was given the position to compensate Hon James Faleke for withdrawing from the Kogi governorship primary and for not making Tinubu’s ministerial list, Bello insisted that he won’t be cowed into accepting the deal.
On sighting Governor Bello supporters of Meseko, who sat quietly at the media centre with the deputy publicity secretary-designate were troubled as many of them asked him to remain calm ahead of the swearing-in.

While the waiting continued, an emissary came to invite Meseko for a meeting with the governor.

Shortly after the closed-door meeting, the delegation came out of the secretariat fuming that they wouldn’t accept the deal.

A support of Meseko’s spoke on the outcome of the meeting saying, “Just imagine the way the governor and those lawmakers were harassing him.

“They wanted to know why he didn’t turn down the appointment when he was offered.

“But when Meseko insisted that he deserved it, having worked for the party at the state level and the victory of Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu), they told him to resign immediately or risk jeopardising his political career in Kogi.

“According to them, they can all go back to Kogi for reconciliation talks if he agrees to withdraw from the deputy spokesman’s position but we told him not to be bullied into taking the decision and left.”
Meanwhile, In another related development, Kogi state APC debunked reports on purported compromise by Governor Yahaya Bello on the protracted nomination for national leadership of the party.

The party chairman, Abdullahi Bello
said those circulating reports that Governor Bello has been told to produce the Zonal Organising Secretary and concede the Deputy National Publicity Secretary are enemies of the APC in Kogi State.

In a statement issued in Lokoja on Friday, Bello said there is no iota of truth in the report.

“We know the people behind such misinformation and falsehood but we remain committed to the position of the National Chairman of the party and we know all of us will ensure that the Constitution of the party is protected and preserved.

“Nothing was discussed about concessions because it would be a violation of the Constitution of our party and due process for which our party is known.

“The governor is a loyal party man who will only accept what is constitutional. He has great respect for the president and the leadership of the party.