The recent unrest bedeviling the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the issue of primary candidacy from the national body needs to be addressed with facts and the urgency required. A party built on strong mandate of those at the echelon needs to return to the drawing board and think of the mandate that laid down the rules of the party in particular.
Going down memory lane, at the inception of the party, the constitution says “All Governors or former Governors that came from the merger parties are leaders of their respective States”. That is they have the final say of what is happening in their State.
The party was formed in Kogi State by some of us like Barrister James Ocholi, Chief Richard Asaje at Ajike Hotels in Kabba with James Ocholi telling us what is on board and we ended up inviting the former Governor, Late Prince Abubakar Audu, Rt. Hon Clarence Olafemi amongst others. When the problem of leadership arose, we sent delegation including myself (Chief Asaje), Augustine Ajibade and Patrick Daudu and we went to Lagos to meet the National Chairman of the party, Pa Akande who told us point blank that Prince Abubakar Audu automatically becomes the leader of the party as the Former Governor. This states clearly that all former Governors are leaders of their various States. This is just a brief history of the emergence of APC in Kogi State.
However, no National Officer has the right to change what the State Governor has said and that is why Governor Ambode could not win his second term bid because the leadership in Lagos State insisted that they don’t want him anymore.
In Kogi State, Rt. Hon. James Faleke wasn’t known politically until 2015 where he was lobbied in. The likes of Samuel Aro, Late Buba Jibril, Dino Melaye and Chief Clarence Olafemi were the ones handling the affairs of the party in Kogi West.
When Hon. Faleke lobbied to get the ticket as Prince Abubakar Audu’s deputy, it was not through the national body of the party. It was within the State affairs, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came to see Prince Abubakar Audu and begged him to pick Faleke for the position. He never went through the national structure of the Party. Samuel Aro who was the authentic candidate for the position was persuaded to step down which he did willingly without grudges and the ticket was given to James Faleke.
How come that the same set of people wants to abort the election that Sam Aro has freely won. While going through all these system, let’s not try to rubbish the efforts and image of the Governor of the state owning to the fact that His Excellency, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo remains the number one citizen of Kogi State with enormous power. Remember that as powerful as President Olusegun Obasanjo was, he could not disgrace Asiwaju Bola Tinubu when he was the Governor of Lagos state.
Coming back to the meeting of the elders from Kogi West, they are just being factual with Faleke. If he wants to contest, he should come home and contest because he cannot be in Lagos and equally be in Kogi. I am an Okun man who has nothing against Rt. Hon. James Faleke but I think if he has the love of Okun nation and accepted the offer of Deputy Governor to Yahaya Bello back then, Okun would have become the Governor today or better still if he did not but rather called on the person that stepped down for him then to come and replace him, Okun as at today, would have been a step ahead (the relationship between Aro and Bello will be seamless and easy but he rejected the offer and returned to Lagos). Now that he is putting a shock on the smooth running of the party is not accepted and should not be accepted by the reasonable people of Kogi West.
I am putting this to the table of his Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo that if he allows a situation like this to go on in his State, I think it doesn’t speak well. The Governor should not surrender and allow this to slide because it signals a big danger for Kogi as a whole. I stand to be challenged that what the party is trying to do now will make the Party lose so many things. My candid advise is to leave the situation as it is, the names of those submitted should not be changed.
Ordinarily, the leadership of the party has the final say and not any Working Committee. If this situation continues, it signals a demeaning factor for the party in the nearest future.
Remember, electoral act says,the names can only be changed in the case of “death“, why should they change the authentic list with our height of civilization.
His Excellency should wake up to this challenge and take the bull by the horn as the number one citizen of the State because his words are law once pronounced.
For the Okun Nation, all the noise being made in Yagba are not so in Lokoja/Koto. Can Yagba make Senate without Lokoja/koton-Karfe? No. Our support for this fight and agitation should be on top gear for a better Okun nation and Kogi State at large.
SIGNED:
Chief Richard Asaje
Founder/Nat’l Coordinator,
Like Minds Alliance Pressure Group
8th July, 2026
