The All Progressives Congress (APC) has told those promoting the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to take over as the party’s chairman not to distract the party or obstruct its smooth operations, stressing that there is no vacancy for the office of national chairman.
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, stated this during a press conference at the APC national secretariat on Tuesday in Abuja.
Indications had emerged that the stakeholders in the North Central and their allies from other geopolitical zones had commenced moves to oust the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, as the party’s helmsman.
Daily Trust observed that Bello’s posters had flooded some major streets of Abuja, indicating his purported interest in the chairmanship of the APC.
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Morka, however, said the office of national chairman is fully occupied and fully operational, and advised those behind the posters to desist from the act and stop distracting the party.
He said, “There is no vacancy in the office of the national chairman of the APC; there is absolutely no vacancy. Our national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, is in the saddle, and he is operating very well at the national headquarters. So, there is no vacancy for that office.
“We, too, have seen some of those posters. But we have absolute confidence in him (Ganduje). The office of national chairman is fully operational.”
Morka also ruled out the possibility of the APC having a national convention soon.
Posters handiwork of mischief-makers – Yahaya Bello
But reacting, Bello said the appearance of his posters in the major streets of Abuja was the handiwork of mischief-makers and urged members of the public to disregard the “mischief of the people circulating posters to create a false impression.”
Bello, in a statement on Tuesday through his Media Office, said, “We are aware of the clandestine moves by some mischief-makers to create confusion within the hierarchy of the APC. This is the handiwork of some opposition leaders and some 5th columnists within the party.
“A part of the plans already being hatched is the circulation of campaign posters with a picture of His Excellency, Alh. Yahaya Bello, CON, the immediate past governor of Kogi State, insinuating that he is contesting for the position of the national chairmanship of the All Progressives Congress. The insinuation is infantile, false and should be disregarded.
“Let it be made abundantly clear that His Excellency, Alh. Yahaya Bello did not authorise anyone to circulate any posters on his behalf as he remains a loyal party man who is committed to the leadership of the National Chairman of the party, His Excellency, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.”
Recall that Ganduje, a former two-term governor of Kano State from the North West, emerged as the APC national chairman on August 3, 2023, after his predecessor, Senator Abdullahi Adamu (North Central), was edged out following an internal crisis within the party, which many attributed to his (Adamu) initial opposition to President Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition.
Since then, the position of some stalwarts from the North Central zone has been that the zone was supposed to produce another chairman as Adamu’s replacement since his tenure was still running before he was forced to throw in the towel.
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