When APC Eats APC: Gov Ododo’s Appointees Ahitophelitics Attitudes

By Ekundayo Olumodeji

Some called it “Rice and Beans” Politics. Different choice of candidates for different elective positions from different political parties. While this may not be a new thing, what is happening in Kogi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kogi West Senatorial District in particular, ahead of the forthcoming federal elections, calls for a timely intervention by the national leadership of the APC, if the ruling party must achieve success in the January 16, 2027 federal elections, particularly President Bola Tinubu’s second term election in Kogi State.

Evidence that the ruling party is seriously fragmented along internal divides emerged within the past two weeks. It came with the disturbing trend of reports of how APC officials and supporters are getting suspended from APC for attending APC meetings.

If anyone was in doubts about the intra party divisions within Kogi APC, the aftermath of the town halll meetings of August 13 and 23 at Kabba and Lokoja, erased all doubts following the suspension of several party officers for attending the meetings.

APC supporters had turned out in their large numbers for the three-pronged town hall meetings, starting from Yagba Federal Constituency on August 2. Since then, APC chapters in parts of Kogi West have faced internal crises and suspensions of ward executives following the town hall meetings organized by the Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi.

The party executives handed down suspensions to specific ward chairmen and executive members for defying directives to boycott the senator’s engagements.

Even when the motives for the meetings were clearly spelt out that they were held to give an account of his stewardship, the achievements recorded by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and mobilize grassroots support for the president’s 2027 re-election, multiple local disciplinary actions were taken against APC faithful over their open identification and appearance at Senator Karimi’s stakeholder events.

The underlying political suspensions reflect a deepening rift within the Kogi State APC structure, threatening cohesion and the party’s chances in the general elections.

Among those suspected were the Lokoja LGA Youth Leader, Talba Lakwaja, six local government excos and three ward chairmen.

However, APC stakeholders in Lokoja Ward C fired back. They rejected the suspension of their ward chairman, Yusuf Bala Namama, passing a vote of confidence in his leadership. The stakeholders described the suspension as unacceptable, arguing that Namama had demonstrated inclusive and responsible leadership while promoting consultation, participation and unity among party members.

Kogi–born House of Representatives member for Ikeja Federal Constituency and Deputy Director-General for Election Planning, Coordination and Monitoring, President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign council., Hon James Faleke expressed surprise at the trend of suspensions of fellow APC faithful in Kogi APC, for attending APC meetings.

Faleke who was ddressing a delegation of Audu/Faleke Political Family from Lokoja/Kogi federal constituency who paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, as part of efforts to strengthen grassroots mobilization for President Bola Tinubu’s second term, said: “I read it on social media but didn’t believe that such can happen. But how can you suspend party members for attending Senator Sunday Karimi’s town hall meeting? Well, let’s see how it will end.”

Conversely, appointees and other officials of Kogi State government have openly identified with candudates in the opposition parties, without caution. This includes key APC stalwarts alleged to delegate their supporters to attend nocturnal meetings involving PDP and African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidates.

Matters came to a head, few days ago, when the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Folashade Ayoade, in a video that has gone viral, was seen accompanying the senate candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Tajudeen Yusuf on a private visit to the palace of the Ohimege Igu of KotonKarfe Kingdom, HRM Alhaji Saidu Akawu Salihu.

While subsequent statements issued indicated that the SSG’s presence was not politically motivated, claiming that she was in Koton Karfe in connection with the commissioning of a project she had facilitated, further stating that her meeting with the PDP senate candidate was a mere coincidence, political observers argued that such “coincidences” must be investigated, especially with elections just four months away.

Earlier during the week, House of Reps member for Kabba-Bunu-Ijumu February Constituency, Salman Idris and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Student Matters, Oladele Nihi and other members of APC were received by the PDP candidate, Yusuf, who posted pictures of the visit on his offucial facebook account

What should be of more concern to the party’s national leadership are the implications of the rising anti-party activities for the chances of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the presidential election in the state.

Further investigations revealed that the real target of the APC handlers in the state may be Tinubu himself. This is butressed by the fact that none of the known Tinubu’s men in Kogi State, among whom are Faleke, Karimi, Kogi East Senator Jibrin Isah as well as 2023 governorship election runnerup, Murtala Ajaka, is currently in the good books of Governor Usman Ododo and his mentor, former Governor Yahaya Bello.

Granted that Kogi APC handlers have openly campagned for the president’s reelection, and while they do not necessarily come in form of a direct statement of aversion to the president’s second term ambition, the state-sponsored attacks on the political interests of the above mentioned Tinubu’s men have been read as an indirect attack on President Tinubu, in a veneered attempt to frustrate his success in the January 16, 2027 presidential election.

Revealed a source: “They have not hidden their plot to work against the APC senatorial candidate, Karimi. Having done everything to stop him during the primary election, and failed, they have adopted a plan B, but do not be deceived, their plan B is not truly Tajudeen Yusuf or PDP. Their Plan B is ADC candidate, Musa Ahmadu for senate. Tajudeen Yusuf is just being used as dummy plan to cover up for their real plan. Their ultimate intention is to deliver Kogi State to former President Atiku Abubakar. This game started long ago. It is tied to Ododo’s second term agenda. They see in President Tinubu’s second term, a threat to that agenda”.

Abiodun Olaogun, a social media commentator, likened the approach of the Kogi handlers to what he termed: “Ahitophelitics attitude”. According to him, “the ahitophelitics attitude being demonstrated by a section of APC in Kogi State is becoming unbecoming. However, every counsel, like that of Ahitophel in the Bible will (must) turn into foolishness”.

Ahitophelitics attitudes refers to a mindset characterized by treachery, political cunning, betrayal, and malicious manipulation.

The term derived from Ahithophel, a prominent biblical figure in the Old Testament known for his immense wisdom and political intelligence. He served as a trusted advisor to King David but notoriously betrayed him to join the rebellion of David’s son, Absalom.

The concept was further popularized in English literature by John Dryden’s famous 1681 satirical poem, Absalom and Achitophel, where the name is used to describe a politician who uses clever, silver-tongued rhetoric to manipulate people and instigate a rebellion against the rightful ruler.

Summarily, after months and weeks of pretence, what is about to unravel in Kogi APC is the true nature and intentions of those who have lived under the pretentious posturing for Tinubu’s reelection.

Unchecked ambition and a total absence of moral boundaries will inevitably dictate the unpredictable endgame.