From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has charged members of the All Progressives Congress’ governorship campaign council to base their campaign on issues and performance of the current administration.
Governor Bello gave the charge during the inauguration of the Kogi State APC governorship campaign council on Tuesday at the Government House in Lokoja.
Governor Bello called on the campaign council not to preach ethnicity or religion but base their campaign on what the government had achieved in the last eight years and the ability of the governorship candidate, Usman Ododo, to build effectively on the current administration’s successes.
He urged members and supporters of the party not to join issues with others who do not have anything to offer in terms of adding value to the state and its inhabitants.
“Forget about liars, whose stock in trade is thuggery with nothing to offer. Go out there and preach what we have on ground in terms of infrastructure, not about ethnicity. Kogi State belongs to all of us. I have always said that Kogi State has the potential to be great if only we stop playing politics of ethnicity.”
“I want all of you to go and work for the success of the party and you will be adequately rewarded.”
The Director General of the campaign council, and Minister of and Steel Development, Prince Shaibu Abubakar Audu, charged Igala people to shun ethnic agenda that would not bring about development in the state.
The Director General of the campaign council said his late father and former governor of the state had never believed in ethnic agenda, but had vision for the growth and development of the state.
He noted that in the last eight years, Governor Yahaya Bello had demonstrated his father’s vision for the state through appointments, distribution and execution of projects across the three senatorial districts of the state without any iota of bias or sentiment.
“My father had a pan Kogi vision and was never a leader that focused on Kogi East.
“Any agenda that focuses on a particular senatorial district instead of Kogi State would not bring about justice, equity and development. We know that Igala people are agitating for return of power to the East but it must be discussed and resolved because power can never be taken with force.”
