The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on Thursday revealed reasons behind the choice of Kogi governor-elect, Yahaya Bello as the party’s standard bearer at the recently held supplementary election in the state.
The party picked Bello to replace its governorship candidate in Kogi, Abubakar Audu, who died last month even in the face of an outright rejection by the deceased running mate, James Faleke who claimed he was the constitutionally recognized candidate.
Oyegun, who spoke at a meeting with leaders of the APC from Kogi East Senatorial District, said the party settled for Bello with the PDP in mind, adding that the APC was aware that whatever decision it came up, somebody will be offended.
He said the party is still making moves to reconcile those aggrieved with the choice of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as the party governorship candidate in Kogi State.
“INEC asked us to replace the late Prince Abubakar Audu, The party opted for something can we defend better if they go to court. That was the basis of our decision. But of course it created understandable anguish.
“We took the decision knowing fully well that someone was bound to get offended. And we were very conscious of the very peculiar circumstance of a group that was on the doorstep of victory. So in the circumstance, we did what we interpreted legally as the best way out of the logjam we were in, always having our eyes on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and what they may likely bring up in court.
“So what we are trying to do is to say we know you are badly bruised, we hope tempers are cooling down. We hope we can now talk about the next steps that will restore some semblance of normalcy all over Kogi State.
“In politics, everybody works for his own inheritance. It is not passed on from father to child. Of course the father can help the child and no question about that. The child can benefit from the father’s influence, personality and the rest. But he has to earn it. Politics is not an inheritance.”