Chief Abiodun Faleke.
Photo credit: City People Magazine.
By Correspondent in Lokoja.
A socio-political group, Kogi West Conscience, has called on the national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to address the imminent crisis that would soon erupt in the party as a result of brazen anti-party activities.
In a statement signed by the group’s national president, Ademola Bakare, some party leaders were accused of working against all APC candidates in Kogi West.
Ademola said it is worrisome that the national secretary of the party’s presidential campaign council, James Faleke, is working against all candidates of APC in Kogi West, aside his political god-father, Senator Bola Tinubu who is flying the party’s presidential flag.
He said Faleke, who was APC’s deputy governorship candidate in the 2015 Kogi guber polls, was not hiding his anti-party activities in Kogi state as he had allegedly endorsed House of Representatives candidates of opposition parties in the state.
“It is no longer a secret that James Faleke is only working for APC in Lagos and the party’s presidential candidate.
“We confidently submit that Faleke is working against Kogi Assembly Speaker, Prince Kolawole Matthew, who is APC House of Representatives candidate for Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency.
“He has pitched his tent with the candidates of his ‘actual party’, African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the two Federal constituencies in Okun land; Yagba and Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu.
“Last weekend, Faleke played host to APC stakeholders in Kogi West and to our surprise, he invited the House of Reps candidates of ADC, Leke Abejide and Idris Salman to the event. Not only did he invite them, he practically endorsed them in the presence of APC stakeholders.
“He didn’t hide his hatred for APC in Kogi West and made it clear that his sole interest is his god-father emerging president of the nation.
“It is important to note that APC lost all House of Reps seats in Kogi West in 2019 due to anti-party activities. We regained the senate seat through the doggedness of Governor Yahaya Bello and Senator Smart Adeyemi,” he said.
The group warned that Faleke should not take active APC members in Kogi West for granted and, adding that they have the capacity to pay him back in his coin during the presidential polls.
“If the party fails to call Faleke to order in Kogi West, we will reciprocate his gesture accordingly when casting votes for our preferred presidential candidate in 2023.
“Kogi West electorate are not cheap people who worship money. We are a people that cherish and value integrity,sincerity of purpose and reliable character. If some persons think they are the richest in Kogi West and can call anybody’s bluff, we owe our ancestors a duty to protect our cherished values. Kogi West has never been for sale and won’t be sold cheaply in our time.”
In a swift reaction,a Kogi-based-socio-political group, Kogi West Agenda, has said that no cheap propaganda could distract the Secretary of Tinubu/Shettima Presidential campaign council, Hon. James Faleke, off from his determination to deliver Nigeria’s vote for the All Progressives Congress, Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu and other candidates of the party.
The coordinator of the group, Arowolo Solomon, in a statement on Tuesday, said contrary to the rumour that Faleke was supporting other party candidates in Kogi West Senatorial district, “the Lagos-politician is committed to the 2023 Presidential project of Tinubu and all other APC candidates within and outside the state, rather than a cheap propaganda.
He described the report as a total blackmail and attempt to cause trouble and disaffection in the state by sowing the seeds of bitterness, anger, distrust, and hatred.
He said: “The so called anti-party only exists in the writer’s imagination and that of his sponsors. It is pertinent to state that if there is any anti-party or would be, Faleke cannot be a party to such distraction.
“This is surely the handiwork of the opposition who knows they will be defeated at 2023 polls. The target is to distract the party and government in the country by sowing seeds of discord.
“APC as a family has come a long way and has worked very hard to maintain the number one position in the politics of the country, and will not allow any passenger to come in between”.
“Let me use this medium to warn such fourth columnists that Faleke is an excellent politician who has always projected the goals of our party beyond personal interests and will do everything for the growth of the party. “This tactic is too elementary that we could have ignored it but for record purposes.
“It is on record that he has never declared support for candidates of other party for one day. He’s a founding member of the APC and too big to play anti party behind the scene.
On issue of Hon. Leke Abejide, he said, “the same man declared openly for Asiwaju before primary at the national assembly engagement with House of Representative members before primaries.
“He restated this fact at the meeting that he is a product of Asiwaju and eventhough his party has presidential candidate,he will still support Tinubu.
“Arch. Salman who was mentioned was never part of the said meeting, so it is wrong for anyone to now say Faleke is supporting other candidates against APC.
“The said report is a figment of the imagination of those who engineered it and we see it as antics of mischief makers and propagandists,due to the towering profile of Faleke after the series of town hall meetings held so far,”he added.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
