In this piece, OYIBO SALIHU takes a look at effort by some stakeholders in the Kogi state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to broker peace, and end the crises rocking the party ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Recently, the National Working Committee (NWC), of the All Progressives Congress (APC), set up a peace and reconciliation committee to intervene in the crises affecting some of its state chapters across the nation, especially in Kogi state.
It is obvious that the crises in Kogi APC may not end soon owing to the fact that the factions in the party are not willing to shield their sword for peace to reign in the party especially now that the 2019 governorship election is coming closer.
Apparently, the Kogi APC has not been able to manage the victory it got since November, 2015 governorship election, when it took control of power from the People Democratic Party (PDP), as the party is perpetually in disarray as a result of the controversy that trailed the emergence of Governor Yahaya Bello as the fourth executive governor of the state.
The crisis had started with hostility from Hon James Abiodun Faleke, running mate to the late Abubakar Audu, in the 2015 election, and his supporters and being sustained by late Audu’s supporters.
The animosity between the two political gladiators in the state has led to final split of the party till date.
Irked by this development that has torn the party into shreds, one of the chieftains of the party in the state Chief Clarence Olafemi, two months ago made a concerted effort to broker peace between the state governor and other warring factions within Kogi APC.
Chief Olafemi who vowed to reconcile all the fractions in the party , lamented that the fate of the party in the 2019 general election would be in jeopardy if an urgent steps are not taken to end all forms of crises in Kogi APC.
According to him “I have kick started the process of the needed reconciliation in the party even before the national body of the party waded in. I met the different factions who have been at each other’s throat over who controls the fortunes of the party. I am assuring you of an amicable resolution before permanent damage is done to the party.
“To succeed in the onerous task, I decided to first reconcile with James Faleke who felt betrayed by the party when, as a running mate to the late Abubakar Audu, he was not considered as replacement for his principal hence, he explored all legal means to get the reclaim mandate but, failed finally at the Supreme Court”
Olafemi, who was also the former acting governor of the state and former Speaker of Kogi state House of Assembly from 2007 to 201, pointed out that the three major camps in the crisis were Yahaya Bello’s camp, Dino Melaye camp as well as the James Faleke camp, saying all the factions are disposed to reconciliation.
Olafemi’s move for reconciliation might have served as a wake- up call to the national chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie – Oyegun, when he admitted to the fact that there were issues to contend with in most of its state chapters of the party, noting that the crisis in Kogi was challenging because it had a political history.
Oyegun, who stated this while inaugurating two fact-finding and reconciliation committees to look into the crisis rocking its chapters in Bauchi and Kogi states ahead of the 2019 general elections, said that the circumstances that led to the emergence of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state and the manner of transition were complex issues that required competent men to address.
Responding, Tony Momoh, chairman of the Kogi committee, attributed some of the problems in the party`s state chapters to lack of effective communication.
Momoh, who was a former National Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, said party members should be encouraged to communicate, while its leadership made efforts to resolve identified issues.
Also, a member representing Ankpa/Omala/Olamaboro Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon. Hassan Atayoma Omale, while commenting on the Kogi APC endless saga, stated that reconciliation in the party was possible if vexed issues in the state’s party were addressed.
Omale, who made the comment in Abuja while speaking with journalists said, dissolution of state executive and consideration of a sizeable number of those who worked for APC in the state are conditions that can fast track the reconciliation process.
Commending the reconciliatory committee set up by the Chief John Odigie – Oyegun-led National Executive Committee of the party few weeks ago , the lawmaker expressed concern that the reconciliation process was rather late, “if damages done to the party at the state level was anything to go by”
He however emphasised that those who worked with the late Audu, must be captured in political appointments made by Governor Bello, saying “It was late Prince Abubakar Audu group who worked for the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi state which, Bello is enjoying and some of those people must be considered for appointments.
Omale stressed that over 80 percent of those in Bello’s cabinet were a mixture of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and non-party members, insisting that the composition was unsustainable for APC’s continuity come 2019.
Surprisingly while the national body of APC and some chieftains of the party were making effort to end the political impasse , Governor Bello and Hon. Faleke have disagreed on the crises rocking the ruling APC, Kogi state chapter.
Faleke, while addressing newsmen at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting held at National Secretariat recently, admitted that there is internal wrangling in the Kogi state chapter of the party.
But barely 72 hours after Faleke’s statement , Governor Bello stated that there was no crisis whatsoever in the party.
Bello, who was also responding to questions from newsmen when he visited the National Secretariat last week, insisted that the party is intact and devoid of any rancour.
According to him, “APC Kogi state is intact, strong and solidly behind me and I am here in the headquarters today to discuss family matters and it went on very smoothly.
“I came here to discuss the progress of our party, the administration and progress in Kogi state”
However, the success of the reconciliation depends on how the NWC of the party handles the findings of the committee, but political pundits in the state are of the view that, for the recent reconciliation efforts in Kogi APC to succeed, the national secretariat of the party should ensure full implementation of the recommendations of the committee for lasting peace in the state.
