The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyorchia Ayu, has rejected the condition given by Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, to join the party, sources within the party have disclosed.
It has been reported that the governor was lobbying the national chairman and some key members of the party, promising to deliver the majority of votes cast in the presidential election in the state for the party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The governor asked the PDP to withdraw its support for its Kogi Central Senatorial candidate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of the sources familiar with the meeting with Ayu told SaharaReporters.
“He approached our National Chairman and some people in PDP, he however gave them different conditions to work for us.
“He asked them to withdraw the support given to her. He said if that happens, he will allow Atiku and some PDP candidates to win Kogi,” the source said.
It was, however, gathered that Ayu and the party bigwigs approached by the governor rejected the proposal.
“The National Chairman and those he has been lobbying did not accept him. They rejected his conditions, especially the one about dropping Natasha for Adamu.
“He was told that Natasha is an asset to the party and the country,” the source said.
The Kogi government recently stopped Natasha from paying the West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination fees of secondary school students in the senatorial district.
On December 11, 2022, she declared interest in donating N5 million to offset the examination fees of students in the five local government areas of the Kogi Central Senatorial district.
However, the government in a letter asked all schools to obtain permission for any internal or external programme.
In 2022, SaharaReporters reported how thugs loyal to Bello attacked the campaign flag-off of Natasha in the state.
One person was shot while two other persons were macheted before the police repelled the attackers.
Bello had openly threatened to use firepower on members of the opposition parties in the state ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He also threatened that political opponents in the state who ‘trespassed’ would never see the sun again, ahead of general elections.
Last year, thugs allegedly loyal to the ruling party in the state also destroyed campaign billboards of Natasha.
