Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi West Senatorial District have berated the senator representing Kogi East,Jibrin Isah over the endorsement of kinsman, Deputy Governor Edward Onoja as successor to the incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello in 2023.
There was uneasy calm in the rank and file of the party, especially in Kogi West as news of Onoja’s endorsement by the Kogi East senator flooded the social media and national dailies at the weekend.
Senator Isah spoke at the government house, Lokoja on Thursday durng the state’s APC chapter’s stakeholders meeting on modalities for the nationwide membership registration exercise of the ruling party.
However, the governor and other stakeholders in attendance were said to be taken by surprise as Isah introduced what a chieftain of the party called ethnic dimension, to the chagrin of a visiblly embarrased Governor Bello and other party leaders present.
Meanwhile, the report is the cause of anger amongst Kogi West APC stakeholders who have vowed to resist any attempt to frustrate the turn of the zone from producing the successor to Bello in the 2023 election.
A chieftain of APC in Yagba West Local Council, Chief Ayo Ipinlaiye who spoke to our reporter came hard on the Kogi East senator saying his endorsement of a successor to Bello, especially an Igala, from a section that has ruled the state from inception in 1991 to 2016 is not only insensitive and ill-timed but also tends to overheat the polity, cause disaffection amongst party members across the three senatorial districts and capable of distracting the governor from concentrating on governance in his remaining 3 years tenure.
“The timing is wrong as the governor is just one year in office in his second time. He (Isha) should allow the governor to concentrate on governance having just spent one year in his second term. From the angle of rotation, when The time comes to talk about hisvsuccessor, the statement suggesting that Igala should produce the next governor is insensitive to the aspiration of the people of Kogi West as joint equity holders of Kogi State. It is a fact that Kogi West is the only section of the state that is yet to produce a democratically elected governor since the creation the state 30 years ago. The Igala have ruled the state for 16 years. The Ebira in the central are on their second term of eight years still running. Equity and justice demands that Kogi West should produce the next governor in the spirit of natural justice”.
Earlier, Senator Isah reportedly said from the governor’s achievements and style of governance, he deserved the presidential seat.
He described Bello as a performer and energetic governor who has paid his dues and is now ripe to take a shot at the presidency. He called on the state party and the people of the state in general to support Bello presidential’s ambition.
Echocho however stirred the hornets nest when he urged the party to consider Bello’s deputy, Edward Onoja as the governor’s successor come 2023.
He noted that Onoja who served as Chief of Staff to the governor during his first term has paid his dues, stressing that “One good turn deserves another”.
Another stakeholders who spoke to our correspondent after the meeting expressed disappointment, that the deliberation, which should have centered on galvanizing supports for the APC registration took ethnic dimension.
“I don’t think it is right to be discussing this kind of issue now. The east has governed the state for 16 years with the central just carrying out their second term, while the west has not even taking a single shot.,” he said, adding “Suffice to say that the senator’s statement is a distraction to the main issue of galvanizing the state supports for the governor presidential ambition. It is quite disappointing that someone of such standing, or anybody for that matter could be harbouring such thoughts.”
