Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has taken his protest to the residence of the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, to demand the immediate resignation of the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary-designate, Duro Meseko.
Governor Bello and his supporters left the party secretariat for Ganduje’s residence after the planned inauguration of the National Working Committee zonal officers was abandoned.
Former Senator Florence Ita-Giwa from Cross River State also led a protest delegation to Ganduje’s residence. She demanded an explanation for dropping Dr. Stella Odey-Ekpo from Cross River State for the position of National Women Leader, which was traditionally rotated between Cross River and Akwa Ibom.
Governor Bello’s presence at the party headquarters and his protest were seen as an attempt to disrupt the inauguration due to his disagreement with the choice of Duro Meseko for the position of Deputy National Publicity Secretary. Meseko’s nomination was in contrast to Bello’s nominee, Yahaya Ismail.
Tensions rose as Bello’s team confronted Meseko and urged him to resign. Following a closed-door meeting between Governor Bello and Meseko, the governor’s team expressed their dissatisfaction with Meseko’s decision to not immediately resign.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State chapter of the APC has disassociated itself from Meseko’s candidacy, stating that the choice of the Deputy National Publicity Secretary-designate did not come from the state.
The situation reflects internal conflicts within the party over appointments and nominations, which has led to protests and disagreements among party members.