Rejection Of Yahaya Ismail As Deputy National Publicity Secretary: Yahaya Bello, Kogi Lawmakers Storm APC Headquarters In Abuja

By Babatunde Solanke

Kogi state Governor Yahaya Bello, his supporters and security operatives stormed the national headquarters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday, 24 August, 2023 hours before the inauguration of the new zonal officers of the party’s National Working Committee.

The governor and his entourage went straight into the party secretariat.

Hours after his arrival, a number of Kogi lawmakers from the Senate and House of Representatives were also seen joining him.

Although the National Chairman of the party, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje and the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru were absent, officials of the secretariat could be heard discussing the development in groups that Bello was there to cause trouble.

It was gathered the Bello’s reason for storming the APC’s headquarters maybe as a result of his nominee who was dropped for the position of Deputy National Publicity Secretary.

Bello’s nominee is no other than his former Special Adviser on Water Resources in Kogi State, Yahaya Ismail, who was dropped in favour of Hon Duro Mesoko for the position of Deputy National Publicity Secretary.

It was gathered that last night, Bello visited the residence of the National Chairman of APC, Ganduje in Abuja over the issue of Ismail.

An insider, who prefer anonymity, told theroyaltimes .com, that “all efforts to convince Bello why the party preferred Mesoko and not his preferred candidate did not go down well with him (Bello)”