Deputy National Publicity Secretary of All Progressive Congress and member of the National Working Committee, Muritala Ajaka, has officially dumped the ruling party.
Ajaka was one of the four aggrieved aspirants who lost the ticket to former Auditor General of Local Governments, Ahmed Ododo, at the just concluded APC governorship primary in Kogi State.
Ododo polled 78, 704 votes to beat six other contestants including Ajaka and Senator Smart Adeyemi, who came seventh with 311 votes.
The loss has generated bad blood among the aspirants and further divided party loyalists in the state, with Adeyemi accusing Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, of imposing his ‘cousin’ on the people.
Adeyemi, who featured on Channels Television’s popular programme, Politics Today, last month, swore that contrary to the result sent to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, no APC primary election was held in the state.
He also described the entire process as a ‘rape of democracy.’
Ajaka, on the other hand, also kicked against the result, saying the outgoing governor has consistently marginalised and disrespected his Igala since he assumed office.
But Governor Bello has since presented his anointed candidate to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), further sought the endorsement of the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to rally support for him.
Having failed to pick the ticket ahead of the November 11 governorship election in the state, the deputy spokesman wrote a letter to APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, on Wednesday to inform him that he has officially dumped the party.
In a copy of the letter dated April 17, which was made available to our correspondent, Ajaka said, “I write to inform your good self and the National Working Committee of our great Party, the All Progressives Congress of my decision to resign my office as the Deputy National Publicity Secretary and also as member of the NWC.
“This gesture is a consequential act to the resignation of my membership, a notice of which I have already communicated in writing to the Chairman of APC, Ajaka Ward 1 in Igalamela/Odolu LGA of Kogi State.
“Kindly permit me to extol the exemplary brinkmanship, astuteness, sagacity and political dexterity with which Your Excellency, being supported by the current National Working Committee has successfully bonded the hitherto fragile fabrics of the Party; firmly enough to record the most eminent victories in the last general elections.
“Having proudly won the presidential election therefore, I have the utmost faith that the Party, under your able charge, will help the incoming administration to upgrade the standard of governance for the greater good of Nigerians.”
Although he failed to mention his next destination, sources revealed prior to his official resignation, the young politician was adopted by the Social Democratic Party as its governorship candidate last month.
Following his adoption, Ajaka will square up against Bello’s chosen candidate, Ododo, and one of the dark horses in the race, Senator Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party.
To aid his campaign, residents and elders of the Igala kingdom have started drumming support for their sole candidate in the upcoming election.
While Ododo is from the central senatorial district of the state, Muri hails from the eastern axis and Melaye is from the western district.
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