Just hours before the new National Working Committee (NWC) officers were to be inaugurated, Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello stormed the APC’s national offices on Thursday.
Along with one of his supporters, Governor Bello entered the party secretariat when he invaded it.
Some Kogi politicians from the Senate and House of Representatives were also seen joining the Kogi State Governor hours after his arrival.
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There were rumours that the Kogi governor was present at the secretariat in an effort to scuttle the inauguration.
A source who spoke with Punch said, “Bello and those lawmakers just coming in are here for just one reason – to ensure this inauguration doesn’t hold. Of course, we are all aware that his nominee, who was the ex-Special Adviser on Water Resources in Kogi, Yahaya Ismail was dropped in favour of Hon Duro Mesoko for the position of Deputy National Publicity Secretary.
“This same Bello was with Ganduje at his residence last night. Despite the explanation by the chairman that Mesoko was given the position to compensate Hon James Faleke for withdrawing from the Kogi governorship primary and for not making Tinubu’s ministerial list, Bello insisted that he won’t be cowed into accepting the deal.”
According to reports, the presence of Governor Bello upset Mesoko’s followers, who sat silently at the media centre with the distraught deputy publicity secretary-designate as several of them pleaded with him to maintain composure before the oath of office.
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As they waited, an emissary who was supposed to invite Mesoko to meet with the governor arrived.
The group stormed out of the secretariat a few minutes after the meeting was held behind closed doors, furious that they would not accept the deal.
When commenting on the meeting’s outcome, one of Mesoko’s supporters said, “Just picture the way the governor and those lawmakers were tormenting him. They were curious as to why he accepted the post when it was given.
“But when Mesoko insisted that he deserved it, having worked for the party at the state level and the victory of Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu), they told him to resign immediately or risk jeopardising his political career in Kogi.
“According to them, they can all go back to Kogi for reconciliation talks if he agrees to withdraw from the deputy spokesman’s position but we told him not to be bullied into taking the decision and left.”
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