Following the commencement of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), House of Representatives primary election on Thursday, the race for Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency of Kogi State has taken a dramatic twist as traditional rulers were reportedly administering oaths on delegates to vote a particular aspirant.
Currently, the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mathew Kolawole and Barrister David Ayedogbon Shola are frontline aspirants on the APC platform.
However CAPITAL POST gathered that some desperate traditional rulers in Ijumu invited delegates from Ijumu to take oath before Friday’s House of Representatives and Senatorial primaries scheduled for Saturday.
A source who spoke under anonymity told CAPITAL POST in confidence that delegates must also vote a particular Senatorial aspirant on Saturday and not trusting some of them, they were subjected to path taking not to disappoint them.
Upon further inquiry, CAPITAL POST learnt that delegates were asked to vote for Barrister
David Ayedogbon Shola, popularly called Charvid for the House of Representatives primary.
The development was generating discomfort as at the time of filing this report as some constituents vowed not to allow imposition, insisting that the era of imposition was over in Ijumu land.
They contended that they know who is from Ijumu and whoever that does not come from Ijumu, stressing that the Kabba-Buni/Ijumu Federal Constituency was not for the highest bidder.
“We know our people somebody, nobody can force us to vote for sombody from outside that is not from our Constituency”, they said.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has laid to rest “Unity list” as the governor rejected the list and warned against imposition of candidates.
The so-called ‘unity list’, according to sources was drawn by some of the governor’s aides.
Governor Bello at an enlarged meeting of the APC stakeholders and aspirants in Abuja told the gathering that he had never at anytime asked anyone to draw a unity list.
He warned that such things as imposition of candidates would no longer be allowed in the party.
Bello said, “We expect that the primary elections will be keenly contested and its outcome not pre-determined. It is better for all the contestants to face the delegates and let the delegates choose their leaders in a free, fair and transparent primary elections”.
However, it became very clear from the meeting held with the Governor by all aspirants and stakeholders of APC from Kogi State at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel, Abuja that the governor would allow free and fair contest.
