Wale Ibrahim, Lokoja
Ahead of the November 16, 2019, governorship election, in Kogi State, no fewer than 45 political parties have endorsed Governor Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for a second term.
The Coalition of Political Parties (CPP), at a news conference, in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, said the endorsement of the governor was sequel to his good work in the last four years.
While addressing newsmen, in Lokoja, on Wednesday, the Chairman of CPP, Dr. Sani Teidi, said the various political parties have objectively analysed all the parties and candidates contesting for the 2019 gubernatorial elections on November 16th and have objectively determined that the incumbent governor is head and shoulders above the rest.
The coalition stated that it has considered the first term of Governor Bello as very successful.
The chairman noted that Bello’s administration has provided Kogi State in the various indices of development by eliminating ethnic, religious and class differences among the people.
He commended the governor for his policies of inclusion and proportional distribution of appointments and projects among all constituencies in Kogi State, adding that they are minded to help in the actualisation of the governor’s quest for a second term.
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“In view of the following, we warn in the strongest term possible that, the increasingly ethnic coloration which some other parties and their candidates are giving to their campaign is serious disincentive, both to the coalition and to voters in Kogi State.
“We appeal to all political parties to bind themselves to respect for the rule of law by playing according to the rules before, during and after the election,” he said.
CPP however charged the governor to see his endorsement as a call to provide even more transformational leadership to Kogi State rather than a victory over the opposition.
Responding, APC deputy governor candidate Chief Edward Onoja said the endorsement of his principal was for the unity, interest and the development of the state, adding that this will go a long way to show what election is all about.
He said the governor is a candidate that has continued to unite Kogi State, stressing that his first term in office has broken the barriers of ethnic and religious difference in the state.
Acknowledging that the state belongs to over four million people, the former chief of staff to the governor said it is imperative to break the long existing oligarchy in the state just as he admonished them to go out and advocate for a violence free election in November.
The political parties that endorsed governor Bello are KOWA, DA, APA, LP, NNPP, YES PARTY, AGAP, MMN, ABP, AA, SNG, NPC, NAC, BNPP, DPP, ABDP, PDC, and CAP.
Others are ACCORD, AD, GPN, PPN,NCP, YDP, JMPP, ZLP, PPP, HDP, AAC and PRP.
Also included in the endorsement list were NPM, ACPN, UPP, ACD, NEPP, NDLP, NRM, AGA, DPC, NUP, RBNP, RAP, CNP, PDM AND NDCP.
