THE deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muritala Ajaka, has officially dumped the ruling party ahead of the November 11 gubernatorial election in Kogi State.
Ajaka, who is also a member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), was one of the four aggrieved aspirants who lost the ticket to former Auditor General of Local Governments, Ahmed Ododo, in the just concluded APC governorship primary in Kogi State.
Ododo polled 78, 704 votes to defeat Ajaka and Smart Adeyemi, among others.
In a letter dated April 17, 2023, Ajaka notified Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello of his decision to resign as the Deputy National Publicity Secretary and also as a member of the party.
“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,” parts of the letter read.
“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.”
Though Ajaka did not state his next move, an earlier report by the Nigerian Tribune stated that he has been adopted by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as its candidate for the November 11 Kogi governorship election.
It was gathered that Ajaka was adopted by the SDP on Friday, May 19.
Bello’s chosen candidate, Ododo is from the Kogi central senatorial district while Ajaka hails from Kogi East. PDP candidate for the poll, Dino Melaye, is from the Kogi West.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.