Following the insistence by Hon. Abiodun Faleke not to present himself for swearing-in as Deputy Governor of Kogi State, stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress in Kogi West have commenced process for his replacement.
The stakeholders also called on the Kogi State governor-elect, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, and the national leadership of the party to accept a suitable replacement from them.
While insisting that party supremacy must prevail at all times, the stakeholders in a communiqué read yesterday in Abuja, advised Gov-elect Bello to be careful of some political jobbers, who they said have constituted a nuisance to APC in Kogi West.
This was one of the resolutions of Kogi West APC after a meeting convened by a former acting governor of Kogi State, Chief Clarence Olafemi and Senator Dino Melaye held in Lokoja, the state capital.
The resolutions were signed by over 40 members from Mopamuro, Kogi/Koto, Yagba East, Yagba West, Ijumu, Kabba/Bunu and Lokoja Local Government Areas of Kogi State.
The signatories included Tope Ajayi (Mopamuro); Shaban Shuaibu (Kogi/Koto); Kayode Adebayo (Yagba East); Gbenga Azagun (Yagba West); Dolapo Abanida (Yagba West); Lamidi Salihu (Ijumu); P. O. Olorunfemi (Kabba/Bunu); and Alhaji Bala Salihu (Lokoja).
The communiqué reads, “The unity among all the component elements of Kogi State is not negotiable and so also is the cordial relationship between Kogi Central and Kogi West Senatorial districts. The APC stakeholders in Kogi West have absolute confidence in the representation and leadership of Senator Dino Melaye.
“Since Hon. Abiodun Faleke has made it abundantly clear that he does not want to be Deputy to governor-elect, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, we the APC stakeholders in Kogi West hereby appeal to the governor-elect and the party leadership to accept a replacement from the West, the process for which we are already embarking on.
“We call on the party leadership and governor-elect to watch with keen interest and take appropriate action against the politicians who are political jobbers and who always cross-carpet from APC to Accord Party, to the Peoples Democratic Party and back to APC as they constitute themselves as nuisance to the APC in Kogi West and formed illegal stakeholders that are not known to the APC as a political party”.
The stakeholders also congratulated the governor-elect and promised to join hands with him to lift Kogi to higher heights.