TheCable

Seidu Mohammed, a gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi, says he will beat Yahaya Bello, the governor, to the ruling party’s ticket, irrespective of the mode used in conducting the primary election.

The APC in Kogi is divided over whether or not to use the direct or indirect mode for its primary election.

Speaking through Moses Abdullahi, his director of communication, Mohammed accused the state chapter of the party of giving undue advantage to Bello.

According to him, the party “called for the disqualification of leading contenders in the race for the party’s ticket, so as to clear the way for Governor Yahaya Bello’s victory at the party’s primary billed to hold in August”.

But Mohammed said a second term for Bello portends disaster for Kogi.

”It is common knowledge that the Kogi State Chapter of the APC is an appendage of the Governor Yahaya Bello’s office with its undisguised support as it pertains the upcoming governorship primary election in our dear state. But the party stretched its luck too far on Wednesday when it called for our disqualification,” he said.

“It is a well-known fact that a Yahaya Bello’s second term would mean hunger, poverty, disease, continuing political weakness, falling standard of education and dwindling prospect of progress in all the critical sectors of Kogi State’s economy.

“We are disposed to direct primary as a way of selecting the party’s flag bearer because it is more democratic … with or without the direct primary, we will defeat Yahaya Bello fair and square.”

Mohammed said all other aspirants and their supporters would resist the alleged rigging of APC governorship primary scheduled to hold in August.

Bello, who is said to be advocating the use of indirect mode, has expressed optimism that he would win the November election by a landslide.