The factional Secretary of Kogi State (APC), Salam Tom Adejoh, has debunked alleged endorsement of Governor Yahaya Bello’s

The factional Secretary of Kogi State All Progressives Congress (APC), Salam Tom Adejoh, has debunked alleged endorsement of Governor Yahaya Bello’s bid for re-election ahead of the state’s governorship poll billed to hold on November 16.

Addressing reporters in Abuja yesterday, Adejoh said  Bello’s poor performance should not be rewarded with a second term.

The APC Secretary emphasised that the party’s executive committee members were not in any position to endorse any aspirants, stressing that the party’s governorship ticket is open to every qualified party member.

“We did not endorse anyone and we are not planning to. The party’s ticket is open to everyone in the party,” added.

According to him, the last meeting of the state executive committee, which held on Saturday, did not discuss Bello’s endorsement.

Adejoh dismissed media reports credited to a faction of the state executive, led by the chairman, purportedly endorsing the governor for a second term.

Read Also: Kogi APC exco splits over Yahaya Bello’s re-election bid

Narrating the exco’s last meeting with the governor, Adejoh said: “Our discussion ended at the need for peace so that the party can move forward. He (governor) said he needed a sincere peace and we agreed on terms. There was nothing like endorsement.

“The terms we agreed on were that our allowances and other packages that we are entitled to would be given to us and we all agreed on these terms.

“The governor requested for the case in court to be withdrawn. We told him there are some processes to be followed.”

On the reported endorsement of the governor by traditional rulers in Kogi State at the Presidential Villa in Abuja last week, the party secretary said the governorship election is not a traditional affair.

According to him, the traditional rulers are only entitled to vote at the election.

Adejoh added that they are not in a position to decide who will be the APC candidate because they are not delegates.

Other party chieftains that joined Adejoh at the briefing included the State Organising Secretary, Alhaji Isah Abubakar; Zonal Youth Leader Noah Akwu; APC Bassa Local Government Chairman Mallam Isiaka Ibrahim among others.