Some stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi Central on Tuesday staged a protest at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, demanding the cancellation of the senatorial primary election won by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
The protesters, drawn from the five local government areas in Kogi Central, alleged that the primary election was marred by irregularities and lacked transparency.
Bello had emerged winner of the APC senatorial primary after reportedly polling a total of 72,399 votes across the district.
The breakdown of the results showed that he secured 18,341 votes in Adavi LGA, 10,298 votes in Ajaokuta, 5,146 votes in Ogori/Magongo, 8,943 votes in Okehi, and 29,621 votes in Okene LGA.
However, the aggrieved party members rejected the outcome of the exercise and called on the APC leadership to conduct a fresh and credible primary election.
Addressing journalists during the protest, coordinator of the Kogi Central Movement, Usman Adabara, described the exercise as flawed from the beginning.
According to him, Bello allegedly failed to appear before the APC screening committee, insisting that the former governor avoided the process because of his ongoing issues with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“We are here to strongly express our opposition to the senatorial ambition of former Governor Yahaya Bello and to call on the APC leadership not to consider him for the Kogi Central senatorial ticket,” Adabara said.
“The protest before the public today is a call for conscience, accountability, and responsible leadership.
“A man surrounded by serious allegations, public distrust, and questions over his stewardship of Kogi State should not be rewarded with another opportunity to represent the people at the National Assembly.”
He further alleged that Bello organised a parallel primary involving only his loyalists with the alleged support of some officials at the APC national secretariat.
Adabara maintained that bypassing the party’s screening process undermines internal democracy and damages public confidence in the APC.
“Screening is an important part of party democracy. Every aspirant is expected to face the process openly and honestly,” he said.
“Avoiding such scrutiny damages public trust and creates the impression that some individuals believe they are above party rules and above accountability.”
Also speaking during the protest, a youth leader in Kogi Central, Suleiman Otaru, appealed to the APC leadership to reverse the outcome of the primary in order to protect the party’s credibility in the district.
“Our message is simple and clear. The APC must not reward controversy, avoidable suspicion, and failed leadership with another public office,” Otaru stated.
“The future of Kogi State is too important for such a mistake to be repeated.”
The protesters insisted that only a fresh primary election conducted in line with the party’s constitution and democratic principles would be acceptable to party members in the district.
