Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, has made the official decision to depart from the party in power.
News About Nigeria reports that Ajaka who is a member of the APC National Working Committee was one of the four disappointed candidates who lost to Ahmed Ododo, the former Auditor General of Local Governments, in the recently concluded APC governorship primary in Kogi State.
Ododo emerged victorious with 78,704 votes, defeating six other contestants, including Ajaka and Senator Smart Adeyemi, who came in seventh with 311 votes.
The outcome of the primary has caused animosity among the aspirants and has further divided loyalists of the party in the state. Adeyemi accused the Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, of imposing his relative on the people.
In a recent appearance on the popular television program “Politics Today,” Adeyemi stated that no APC primary election was conducted in the state, contrary to the result sent to the party’s national secretariat. He denounced the entire process as a violation of democracy.
Ajaka also expressed dissatisfaction with the result, claiming that the outgoing governor consistently marginalized and disrespected his Igala ethnic group since assuming office.
Governor Bello has already presented his favored candidate to President Muhammadu Buhari and sought the endorsement of the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to gather support.
Failing to secure the ticket for the upcoming governorship election in November, Ajaka sent a letter to the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, on April 17, officially announcing his departure from the party.
In the letter, he stated, “I write to inform your good self and the National Working Committee of our great Party, the All Progressives Congress, of my decision to step down from my role as the Deputy National Publicity Secretary and also resign as a member of the National Working Committee (NWC).”
Although Ajaka did not disclose his next political affiliation, sources revealed that he was adopted by the Social Democratic Party as its governorship candidate.
With this new development, Ajaka will be competing against Bello’s chosen candidate, Ododo, as well as Senator Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party, who is considered a dark horse in the race.
In a show of support for his candidacy, the people of the Igala kingdom, including residents and respected elders, have begun uniting behind Ajaka as their sole contender for the forthcoming election
It is worth noting that while Ododo is from the central senatorial district, Ajaka hails from the eastern axis, and Melaye represents the western district.
Ajaka’s decision to leave the APC signifies his dissatisfaction with the primary election result and his desire to pursue his political aspirations elsewhere.
The upcoming governorship election in Kogi State is expected to be a fierce competition between candidates representing different regions of the state.
