The Kogi State All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council has refuted a news report by a national daily (not in LEADERSHIP), insinuating that Governor Yahaya Bello has withdrawn support for the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the report as absolute falsehood and a concoction borne out of malice.
In a statement issued by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information, who is the Director of Media and Publicity, State APC Campaign Council, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, on Sunday, the party flayed the report as one done in bad faith, adding that the report was “spurious, malicious and a badly delivered hatchet job”.
The APC Campaign Council said the publication was mischievous and was out to create distrust, acrimony and chaos in the party, by people whom it described as desperately trying to disparage the unbending commitment of the Kogi State governor to the success of the APC in the forthcoming presidential election billed for February 25, 2023.
Fanwo, however, assured the public that Governor Bello’s unflinching commitment to the Tinubu campaign was not in doubt among committed stakeholders of the APC at all levels.
He said, “GYB is constantly on the drawing board, galvanising Kogites and youths across Nigeria to massively support the man he calls the President-in-Waiting, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“This will definitely not go down well with open and veiled detractors of our presidential candidate, who would go to any length to paint a picture of crisis where there is absolutely none.
“Aside from winning and sustaining the support of the majority of Nigerian youths for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Yahaya Bello has effectively mobilised Kogites to deliver not less than 95% Kogi votes to the Presidential Candidate of our party. It is, therefore, not a surprise that those who want to share in the glory of the impending landslide victory without contributing to the efforts, are hiding behind ‘the evils of journalistic anonymity’ to cause disaffection,” he stated.
While explaining that Bello has always been the Star Boy of the party, having delivered on critical assignments in the State and at the national level, Fanwo recalled that the governor recently registered millions of youths, women and people living with disabilities into the APC fold ahead of the elections.
According to him, Governor Bello was proud of the presidential candidate of his party and has no doubt whatsoever in the capacity of Tinubu to take Nigeria to the desired level.
“It is laughable, ludicrous and unthinkable to insinuate that the man working so hard to deliver massive votes for the Presidential Candidate of the party is the one naysayers would accuse of non-commitment.
“The TownHall Meeting to bring the Presidential Candidate of the Party face-to-face with the Nigerian youths at the nation’s capital, remains one of the boldest highlights of the Campaign till date. The Governor also remains the only known contestant in the presidential primaries to have donated his campaign secretariat to our candidate, which is being used by the youth directorate of the campaign till today,” Fanwo added.
Assuring that Governor Bello will continue to work assiduously for the resounding success of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the February 25 polls to the consternation and disappointment of those who are desperately working to create a storm in a tea cup for selfish reasons, the campaign director said the governor, who is the leader of the party in the State, the leader of the State Campaign Council and the National Youth Coordinator of the APC presidential campaign, “will remain undaunted by the spurious lies and remain unwaveringly committed to the desire of Nigerians to have a Tinubu-Shettima presidency from May 29, 2023.”
He, however, called on the media to avoid being tools in the hands of desperate politicians in their efforts to assassinate the characters of well-meaning Nigerians.
“As a Campaign Council, we are miffed by the fact that a medium as reputable as the Nigerian Tribune could be dragged off the lines of responsible journalism by elements who are enemies of Kogi State and the APC in general. This is clearly against the ideology and principles of the founding fathers of such a platform.
“We again reiterate the commitment of the Governor to the landslide victory of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential ticket and urge members of the public to ignore the concocted falsehood on the front page of SUNDAY TRIBUNE,” Fanwo stated.
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