The political atmosphere in Kogi state is tense as stakeholders from the Kogi East PDP have opposed the moves by the caretaker chairman, Sen. Danjuma Lah, and his secretary, Sen. Philip Aruwa Gyunka, to impose their preferred candidates on the party ahead of the state congress.
Kogi PDP Elders Forum exposes Danjuma Lah
The stakeholders, comprising party elders from nine local government areas in Kogi East and Kogi West, under the aegis of the Kogi PDP Elders Forum, are vehemently rejecting Danjuma Lah and Gyunka's attempts to hand over the party structure to Senator Dino Melaye and his allies.
They accused this group of scheming to frustrate Kogi East's participation in the party and use the party for personal political gain, as seen in the last gubernatorial election.
In a statement made available to Legit.ng on Saturday, June 15, the elders disclosed that since Danjuma Lah's appointment as caretaker chairman, his goal has been to ensure Dino Melaye controls the party structure.
They alleged that plans are underway to allocate 80% of the state executive positions to Dino Melaye's nominees, including Captain Joe Agada, who is being propped up to challenge the decision of Kogi East stakeholders.
Kogi PDP Elders vows to resist Dino Melaye's influence
The party elders, however, warned that they will resist and reject any attempts to impose candidates on the party.
They urged the national headquarters to expedite the exit of Danjuma Lah and his secretary, citing their failure to provide effective leadership and condemn the abnormalities in the state.
"We will not be provoked to leave the party, but we will resist and reject their plots."
"We call on the national headquarters to quickly hurry up Danjuma Lah and his secretary's exit from the state as they have failed woefully. PDP leadership, under their watch, is a colossal failure and is unable to even issue a statement to condemn the abnormality in the state," the elders said in a statement.
How Danjuma Lah plans to hijack state structure for Melaye
Speaking further, the aggrieved elders also accused Danjuma Lah and Gyunka of being nominees of Senator Dino Melaye, who is also their colleague in the 8th National Assembly.
They claimed that this group is determined to perpetuate their hold on the party structure and use it for personal political gain.
Meanwhile, the development has sparked tensions within the party, with many members expressing concerns over the attempts to hijack the party structure. However, the state congress is expected to be held soon, and the stakeholders are demanding a free and fair election that reflects the will of the party members.
Kogi crisis: PDP national chairman told to intervene
The Kogi PDP Elders Forum has urged the national headquarters to intervene and ensure that the state congress is conducted in a transparent and democratic manner, without any interference from external forces.
They warned that any attempt to impose candidates on the party would lead to a crisis that could have far-reaching consequences for the party in the state.
As the political drama unfolds, party members and political observers are watching with keen interest to see how the situation will play out. One thing is clear, however: the stakeholders from Kogi East are determined to resist any attempts to hijack the party structure and ensure that the party remains democratic and inclusive.