The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has said that state governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress and the majority of the party members have confidence in the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
Bello said this in an interview with State House correspondents on Thursday evening after a meeting the governors had with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He was reacting to a letter written by a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in which he accused Odigie-Oyegun of sabotaging his efforts aimed at reconciling aggrieved party members as directed by Buhari.
Tinubu had among other allegations accused the party chairman of unilaterally constituting a parallel party executive council in Kogi State.
But Bello insisted that the governors have confidence in Odigie-Oyegun.
Although he also supported Tinubu’s reconciliation efforts, the governor warned against what he described as “one size fits all” method for all the affected states.
He insisted that some errant party members must be disciplined despite the reconciliation efforts.
Bello said, “We the governors and the majority of APC members have confidence in our National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun.
“We also believe in the President by appointing Bola Tinubu, our leader to reconcile some aggrieved members of our party.
“However, one size fits all will not work in all the states where some erring members need to be disciplined.”
He also said the APC governors had been calling on Buhari to seek re-election because of his unblemished record.
For instance, he said said state governors had shunned corrupt practices because the President remained incorruptible.
The governor said, “One, the President has done excellently well. Secondly, on fighting corruption. Even we, among the governors are competing among ourselves to ensure that the little resources available, we utilise for the people. So, corruption is reduced to the barest minimum.
“Next is the revival of the economy, job creation and making sure that average Nigerians are comfortable. Based on this performance, we are urging Mr. President to please run and fly in 2019.
“So, there is nothing more to that. And if you look at it critically, the governors themselves who naturally have immunity, we are very careful because you know that Mr. President is incorruptible.
“If you do, you are going to face the consequences. So, we are careful about that and we are utilising it.
“You see among ourselves, we are competing among the states to see who does more unlike the previous regime.
“So, we want such Mr. President to continue to lead the way so that we can follow and Nigerians will have the dividend of democracy.”
He said Buhari was still consulting with Nigerians and would love to hear from citizens before taking a decision on the 2019 presidential election.
“The President is still consulting and he wants more Nigerians to speak before he can make up his mind. But I am very comfortable that Nigerians will speak loud,” Bello added.
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