The All Progressives Congress, APC, has reacted to reports that Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has withdrawn support for Bola Tinubu.
Bello is a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, PCC and was among the presidential aspirants before Tinubu won the ticket in June 2022.
Bello has been very supportive of Tinubu’s presidential ambition. However, reports emerged on Sunday that the governor may have changed his disposition towards Tinubu’s presidency.
According to source, the governor has withdrawn his support for the APC flagbearer. This is not unconnected to the permutations and intrigues that have characterised the Kogi state governorship election which will hold later in the year.
A Tinubu presidency may pave way for the emergence of an APC governorship candidate in the North-Central State that does not favour Bello, sources said.
In swift response on Sunday, the APC dismissed the reports.
The party said there are “imagined political permutations” on the Kogi governorship election scheduled for November.
National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka labelled the speculations “maliciously false and a figment of the imagination of its author and sponsors.”
Morka said Bello, who serves as the National Youth Coordinator of the PCC is a solid, resourceful and committed campaigner” for Tinubu.
The spokesman noted that “the fake news” seeks to float a rift between Bello and Hon. James Faleke, secretary of the APC PCC.
“It is the desperate and disgraceful conjecture of opposition elements unsettled by our Party’s giant campaign strides.
“Both loyal party men are unquestionably committed and working tirelessly for the resounding victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in next month’s presidential election,” Morka added.
Faleke is reportedly Tinubu’s choice for the Kogi APC ticket, while Bello reportedly favours incumbent deputy Edward Onoja.