By Joshep Adejoh
ABUJA — Loyalists of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Monday attacked the All Progressives Congress over the conduct of its National Assembly primaries in Kogi State, faulting both the process and the clearance of former Governor Yahaya Bello to contest a Senate seat despite pending charges before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s media adviser, Samuel Idoko, described the primaries as chaotic and riddled with irregularities, saying the exercise had exposed the ruling party as disorganised.
“The irregularities witnessed during the APC primaries, from the House of Representatives elections down to the Senate primaries, are a huge embarrassment to a party that claims to be the ruling party. What Nigerians and Kogites have seen is confusion, manipulation, and lack of internal democracy,” Idoko said.
He singled out the screening committee’s decision to clear Bello as particularly damaging to the party’s credibility, describing it as a sign that the APC had no regard for accountability.
“The most shocking aspect is the clearance granted to former Governor Yahaya Bello, who is currently facing serious corruption cases with the EFCC, to contest for Senate. It is a major dent on the integrity of the APC,” he said.
Idoko, who is himself seeking a Kogi State House of Assembly seat on the Peoples Democratic Party platform, said the APC’s troubles were strengthening the PDP’s position in Kogi East and Kogi Central ahead of the elections.
“All these developments are advantages for the PDP. The people are tired, and they are ready for change. PDP is strongly positioned to win elections across Kogi East and Kogi Central, from the Senate down to the State House of Assembly seats,” he said.
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