Kogi APC guber aspirant favours adoption of direct primary
By Idris Ahmed, Lokoja
A governorship aspirant in Kogi state on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Admiral Usman Jibrin (rtd) has appealed to the national working committee of the party to adopt the direct method of selecting its flag -bearer for the November election.
Addressing a mammoth crowd of party supporters at the weekend at Ayingba, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi state where he formally declared his intention to run for the governorship election, Adminiral Jibrin noted that using the indirect primary method will not be fair to other aspirants.
He explained that hundreds of political office holders slated to vote during the primary if the indirect primary was adopted by the party were appointed by the governor who is equally an aspirant.
“If fairness equality and justice is still the policy of our great party, the APC, a level playing ground should be employed by adopting the direct method for the selection of the standard bearer,” the aspirant advised.
On his ambition to govern the state, the former chief of naval staff said that the pinnacle of development of a state depends on the leadership which it has, an ingredient he asserted is grossly lacking in Kogi state and promising to provide a more purposeful and focused governance to the state.
Jibrin reminded the people that “the creation of Kogi state was to address the total neglect suffered by the people of the old Kabba Province and it is regrettable that all the efforts of some of the past leaders geared towards moving the state forward have been criminally thwarted by those who accidentally found themselves in power today.”
He therefore, gave a post -humour commendation to late Prince Abubakar Audu, whom he described as a pacesetter and a political icon who is yet to be equalled by those that have succeeded him.
“He gave pride to Kogi state; he made it what it is today. Today, I want to inherit Prince Abubakar Audu’s legacies,” he added.
He also commended Rep. James Faleke who was the running mate to the late APC governorship candidate in the 2015 election for his steadfastness and sustaining Prince Audu’s political structure.
Admiral Jibrin lamented that since the inception of the Bello administration, salaries and pensions have never been regular and if paid were in percentages, adding that for the past three years workers in the state celebrated Christmas and Sallah festivities without salaries and pension for the retirees.
According to him, Kogi state endowed with human and natural resources has failed to be self- reliant because those in charge of affairs believe only in the allocation from the federation account which has been largely mismanaged and squandered.
