EXCLUSIVE: Kogi Guber: Why Buhari May Back Melaye Against Bello

The analysis was gathered by THE NIGERIA TIMES

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* SGF spearheads re-alignment moves 

BY DAILY WITNESS 

As the 2019 general elections draw near, the Presidency has commenced the review of its strategies with the aim of forestalling surprise defeat in some All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled states. The Nigeria Times gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari and his handlers are presently worried about the likelihood of defeat in states where governors elected on the platform of the governing APC have performed dismally in spite of huge resources that have been made available to them since 2015 when they assumed office. Credible sources privy to the development hinted that at the heart of the strategy is the decision of the of top notchers within the Buhari administration to work with whoever will deliver the affected states to APC in 2019. This newspaper reliably gathered that one of the states that has been of major concern to Buhari is Kogi State, which is a civil service state but with a large chunk of its workers groaning under unpaid salaries. 

The Nigeria Times further gathered from security and political circles that the Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, has been properly briefed about the issues in Kogi State and how President Buhari is losing political goodwill because of Governor Yahaya Bello’s dismal performance in office. “This is because majority of Kogi people believe Yahaya Bello is a governor of circumstance because of the Presidency factor or to put it directly, President Buhari’s influence as a result of Prince Abubakar Audu’s sudden death.  “And in furtherance to the resolve by President Buhari to work with anyone who has the clout to deliver the state to the APC, the SGF has met with some Kogi indigenes considered to have the followership to make the difference at the polls,” one of the sources, who volunteered information, explained. He added that Mustapha had met with the son of the late Prince Audu, Mohammed Audu, in what has been described as a “fruitful meeting” and a forerunner to another meeting with the outspoken Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye. Melaye was one of the leading Kogi politicians who supported Bello before and after assumption of office in Luggard House but shortly thereafter fell apart with each other when the lawmaker started criticising the governor over his style of leadership particularly his inability to pay state workers salaries inspite of allocations, bailout funds, Paris Club refunds and budget support that have accrued to the state since he took over office in January 2016. The Presidency is said to be surprised that Melaye survived the ochestrated recall against him despite being in detention, a development that had since become cause for concern for the president’s handlers. “They have since realised that Bello is a paperweight even with the backing of the Presidency and they cannot contemplate losing Kogi State to the opposition, hence the need to change strategy by befriending Dino Melaye, who apparently enjoys the political goodwill enough to win the state in 2019. 

 “Remember, politics is about interests. It is no war or like the legendary Chinese leader, Chairman Mao, put it, politics is a bloodless war. So, the realignment is normal and it is about no permanent friends or permanent enemies but permanent interest principle,” another source said. He added that the idea is to get Mohammed Audu to convince Senator Melaye to agree to the reconciliation move and also sign to the “pact to rescue Kogi” from Bello lest the people reject APC at the polls.






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