Kogi APC: Is Abubakar Audu a Double Agent?
Category: Kogi News
Feelers from the state tend to suggest that members of the APC both at the national level and in Kogi are not comfortable with Abubakar Audu’s seeming romance with the PDP especially in the state.
This is because members and leaders of the party accused the man considered the godfather of the party in Kogi, of sabotaging efforts to build a viable party.
The APC members and stakeholders contend that Audu, two time governor of the State has hijacked the soul of APC in the State for selfish motives. “Audu is one leg in APC, and neck deep in romance with the PDP” an APC stalwart hissed in anger when confronted with the issue recently.
Indeed, Audu at a recent public outing was very profuse with words of praise for Governor Idris Wada’s administration. Describing Wada as ‘God-sent’ to Kogi, he promised: “We will cooperate with you (Wada) to succeed because your success is our success. We will not entertain unnecessary criticisms’’
However, his fellow APC members are uncomfortable with his cosy relationship with the PDP which definitely is at APC’s detriment.
“Stakeholders and leaders of the APC in Kogi are totally fed up with the antics of Prince Abubakar Audu. He is playing a double game dancing with the APC in the afternoon and romancing the PDP at night. We are totally disillusioned, and angry that the man we thought was our leader would resort to frolicking with the PDP at the detriment of the APC, he is being funded by Kogi Governor, Capt Wada to work for him and the PDP, even as a leader of the APC’’ Says Barrister Ocholi James, SAN
He added that the disenchanted leaders had taken their grouse with Audu to the National Executive Council, NEC of the party and hopes the NEC acts decisively and wisely. He stressed that if their contentions are not resolved, APC may become a shadow of itself as the disenchanted followers may defect en masse to other parties which boasts of tangible presence in Kogi.
Barrister James, governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, rather than concede that Audu is the soul of APC in Kogi State describes him as a bogey man who had been scaring away membership from the party.
Out of the three legacy parties that fused to form APC in Kogi, Audu is regarded as the live wire in both the ACN and the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP. At the national level, he was a founding father of the then APP which transformed to ANPP. He later defected to the ACN on whose platform he ran against Governor Idris Wada in 2011.
It was this privilege of links to both ANPP and ACN that automatically earned him the leadership of the APC in Kogi after the merger. However rather than build a consensus, he is alleged to have handpicked his cronies to form the party’s State Executive Council, SEC. In the SEC consisting of 35 members, the ANPP got only an ex-officio post, the CPC Assistant Secretary, while he kept the rest 33 to his handpicked cronies. Thus while the current SEC is 100% in his pocket, there are an army of disenchanted members out in the cold.
Former ANPP members currently sidelined in the affairs of the APC faults the automatic leadership conferred on Audu. According to them, the exit of Audu from the ANPP in 2011, did not imply the party went into oblivion. They point to Elder Ubolo Okpanachi, former Accountant-General of the State who mobilised resources to re-establish structures of the party across the State.
Amongst its leaders also side-lined include its former State Chairman, Hon. Patrick Daudu, State Secretary, Adaji Ainoko, its Zonal Vice-Chairman, Mr. Ajibili Umoru and its NEC member, A. J. B. Ajibade and a host of others.
Some of the disgruntled members of the defunct party shoved aside includes; Engineer Adeyemi Adebola who was funding the party solely before Audu’s entry. Others are the five members of the party in the State House of Assembly, its Woman Leader, Chief (Mrs) Agnes Achimugu, its State Secretary, Barrister Isaac Ekpa
From the CPC, besides James, its 2011 governorship candidate, some of its leaders not being carried along includes Alhaji Kassim Mabo, its former State Chairman, Alhaji Jubrin Yusuf, its former State Secretary and Alhaji Abu Onaji, its former National Vice-Chairman, North-Central zone, Prince Salisu Sani, its former Youth Leader and Alhaji Ibrahim Yusuf, a party chieftain.
Audu, former governor of Kogi State between 1999 to 2003, ran unsuccessfully in 2003 and 2007 to return for a second term. In both elections, he was defeated by former Governor Ibrahim Idris.
Besides defeating him at the polls, Idris was further alleged to have undermined the Audu’s political reinvigoration by constricting him financially. Specifically, Idris refused to pay several millions of Naira Audu alleged were owed him by the State Government.
In 2011, Audu, again ran against Capt. Wada and also lost. However, unlike Idris, Wada was beset by much trouble within his, PDP, seeking allies to stabilise his wobbly administration, he reached out to Audu.
Audu, may be in political wilderness, he remains a formidable force in the States’ politics, and he is believed to have been instrumental to the decamping of APC Senator Aidoko Atai to the PDP recently.
Feelers from some aggrieved APC members allege that part of the benefits accruing to Audu in the deal reached with Wada includes payment of debts owed him by the State Government which he could not pay himself before his exit in 2003. They allege that Wada has as at date paid over N200 million to Audu being the amount he claimed the State Government owes him.
Another pointer they claim which seem to suggest that Audu is in the good books of the PDP is the fact that his son, Mohammed has been awarded a contract worth N6 billion by the Federal Capital Development Administration, FCDA.
Also, that in line with President Goodluck Jonathan’s style of pardoning former office holders accused of corrupt practices, Audu’s case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, where he is standing trial for 35 counts charge of corrupt enrichment to the tune of N10.9 billion may be forgiven him in exchange for his support.
A stakeholder in the state said; “It would be an understatement to state that elders and stakeholders in Kogi APC are perplexed by the lack of concern shown by the party’s NEC over Audu’s fraternisation with a rival party”.
APC’s NEC’s supposedly lackadaisical posture in Kogi the elders claim becomes more worrisome in the face that the PDP suspended its Osun State Vice-Chairman simply for attending a birthday party held in Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s honour.
These and more questions would crop up when the Kogi elders and stakeholders meet with APC national leadership soon.
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Like former Governor Senator Alli Sherif of Bornu state who only recently decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), event playing out in Kogi All Progressives Congress, (APC) suggests that former Governor Abubakar Audu may be toeing the same line.
Feelers from the state tend to suggest that members of the APC both at the national level and in Kogi are not comfortable with Abubakar Audu’s seeming romance with the PDP especially in the state.
This is because members and leaders of the party accused the man considered the godfather of the party in Kogi, of sabotaging efforts to build a viable party.
The APC members and stakeholders contend that Audu, two time governor of the State has hijacked the soul of APC in the State for selfish motives. “Audu is one leg in APC, and neck deep in romance with the PDP” an APC stalwart hissed in anger when confronted with the issue recently.
Indeed, Audu at a recent public outing was very profuse with words of praise for Governor Idris Wada’s administration. Describing Wada as ‘God-sent’ to Kogi, he promised: “We will cooperate with you (Wada) to succeed because your success is our success. We will not entertain unnecessary criticisms’’
However, his fellow APC members are uncomfortable with his cosy relationship with the PDP which definitely is at APC’s detriment.
“Stakeholders and leaders of the APC in Kogi are totally fed up with the antics of Prince Abubakar Audu. He is playing a double game dancing with the APC in the afternoon and romancing the PDP at night. We are totally disillusioned, and angry that the man we thought was our leader would resort to frolicking with the PDP at the detriment of the APC, he is being funded by Kogi Governor, Capt Wada to work for him and the PDP, even as a leader of the APC’’ Says Barrister Ocholi James, SAN
He added that the disenchanted leaders had taken their grouse with Audu to the National Executive Council, NEC of the party and hopes the NEC acts decisively and wisely. He stressed that if their contentions are not resolved, APC may become a shadow of itself as the disenchanted followers may defect en masse to other parties which boasts of tangible presence in Kogi.
Barrister James, governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, rather than concede that Audu is the soul of APC in Kogi State describes him as a bogey man who had been scaring away membership from the party.
Out of the three legacy parties that fused to form APC in Kogi, Audu is regarded as the live wire in both the ACN and the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP. At the national level, he was a founding father of the then APP which transformed to ANPP. He later defected to the ACN on whose platform he ran against Governor Idris Wada in 2011.
It was this privilege of links to both ANPP and ACN that automatically earned him the leadership of the APC in Kogi after the merger. However rather than build a consensus, he is alleged to have handpicked his cronies to form the party’s State Executive Council, SEC. In the SEC consisting of 35 members, the ANPP got only an ex-officio post, the CPC Assistant Secretary, while he kept the rest 33 to his handpicked cronies. Thus while the current SEC is 100% in his pocket, there are an army of disenchanted members out in the cold.
Former ANPP members currently sidelined in the affairs of the APC faults the automatic leadership conferred on Audu. According to them, the exit of Audu from the ANPP in 2011, did not imply the party went into oblivion. They point to Elder Ubolo Okpanachi, former Accountant-General of the State who mobilised resources to re-establish structures of the party across the State.
Amongst its leaders also side-lined include its former State Chairman, Hon. Patrick Daudu, State Secretary, Adaji Ainoko, its Zonal Vice-Chairman, Mr. Ajibili Umoru and its NEC member, A. J. B. Ajibade and a host of others.
And members of the defunct ACN out in the cold equally disagrees that the entry of Audu into the party enhanced its status. ‘The coming of Audu demoralised the ACN as he came with his people and pushed aside committed loyalists of the party’ says a stakeholder.
Some of the disgruntled members of the defunct party shoved aside includes; Engineer Adeyemi Adebola who was funding the party solely before Audu’s entry. Others are the five members of the party in the State House of Assembly, its Woman Leader, Chief (Mrs) Agnes Achimugu, its State Secretary, Barrister Isaac Ekpa
From the CPC, besides James, its 2011 governorship candidate, some of its leaders not being carried along includes Alhaji Kassim Mabo, its former State Chairman, Alhaji Jubrin Yusuf, its former State Secretary and Alhaji Abu Onaji, its former National Vice-Chairman, North-Central zone, Prince Salisu Sani, its former Youth Leader and Alhaji Ibrahim Yusuf, a party chieftain.
Audu, former governor of Kogi State between 1999 to 2003, ran unsuccessfully in 2003 and 2007 to return for a second term. In both elections, he was defeated by former Governor Ibrahim Idris.
Besides defeating him at the polls, Idris was further alleged to have undermined the Audu’s political reinvigoration by constricting him financially. Specifically, Idris refused to pay several millions of Naira Audu alleged were owed him by the State Government.
In 2011, Audu, again ran against Capt. Wada and also lost. However, unlike Idris, Wada was beset by much trouble within his, PDP, seeking allies to stabilise his wobbly administration, he reached out to Audu.
Audu, may be in political wilderness, he remains a formidable force in the States’ politics, and he is believed to have been instrumental to the decamping of APC Senator Aidoko Atai to the PDP recently.
Feelers from some aggrieved APC members allege that part of the benefits accruing to Audu in the deal reached with Wada includes payment of debts owed him by the State Government which he could not pay himself before his exit in 2003. They allege that Wada has as at date paid over N200 million to Audu being the amount he claimed the State Government owes him.
Another pointer they claim which seem to suggest that Audu is in the good books of the PDP is the fact that his son, Mohammed has been awarded a contract worth N6 billion by the Federal Capital Development Administration, FCDA.
Also, that in line with President Goodluck Jonathan’s style of pardoning former office holders accused of corrupt practices, Audu’s case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, where he is standing trial for 35 counts charge of corrupt enrichment to the tune of N10.9 billion may be forgiven him in exchange for his support.
A stakeholder in the state said; “It would be an understatement to state that elders and stakeholders in Kogi APC are perplexed by the lack of concern shown by the party’s NEC over Audu’s fraternisation with a rival party”.
APC’s NEC’s supposedly lackadaisical posture in Kogi the elders claim becomes more worrisome in the face that the PDP suspended its Osun State Vice-Chairman simply for attending a birthday party held in Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s honour.
These and more questions would crop up when the Kogi elders and stakeholders meet with APC national leadership soon.
Source
Related Posts:
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