Public Report on the Constitutional Tenure of the Outgoing APC Chairman in Kogi State and the Need to Protect Party Stability
We, concerned citizens and committed supporters of democratic order within our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), write this public report not with any intention to attack individuals but to raise a sincere and necessary concern that touches profoundly on constitutional compliance, party unity, and the protection of our collective political future in Kogi State and beyond.
At the heart of this pressing issue lies the tenure status and eligibility of the Kogi State APC Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Bello, whose continued hold on the office amid clear constitutional provisions demands urgent clarity to safeguard the party’s stability and electoral gains.
The APC Constitution, as the foundational document guiding our internal democracy, is unequivocal on matters of tenure, with Article 17 providing that all party officers elected or appointed into the organs of the party shall serve for a period of four (4) years and may be re-elected or re-appointed for another period of four (4) years only, further stating that no member shall serve in the same office for more than eight (8) years continuously, except in cases where a person first came into office by filling a vacancy or whose tenure was truncated by a decision of a party organ and not on grounds of disciplinary action.
These provisions were deliberately designed to protect internal democracy, prevent the undue concentration of power in few hands, and encourage the vital renewal of leadership within the party, ensuring that no single individual dominates the structure to the detriment of broader participation and fresh ideas.
Available public records clearly show that Hon. Abdullahi Bello emerged as Kogi State APC Chairman in 2018 and has remained in that office in one capacity or another from that time to date, including his re-election during the official state congress in October 2021, and now with the extension of executives’ tenure to December 2025, his continuous service from 2018 will amount to approximately seven and a half (7½) years, placing him perilously close to the constitutional eight-year limit set by Article 17.
By every reasonable interpretation of these facts, there is no publicly known declaration that his 2018 emergence was solely to fill a vacancy under conditions that would exempt him from the constitutional tenure count, nor is there any record of a formal truncation of his tenure by a party organ that would reset the calculation, which is why utmost clarity is not just necessary but imperative to avoid any missteps that could unravel the party’s progress.
Nigeria has witnessed the painful political consequences in several states where internal party disputes and procedural irregularities were ignored until they escalated into protracted legal battles that weakened structures and diverted focus from governance, and Kogi State itself has experienced such tensions in the past, making it incumbent on all stakeholders not to allow any action that could reopen old wounds or create fresh vulnerabilities capable of destabilizing our hard-won unity.
If leadership eligibility is later challenged in court and found to be inconsistent with the party constitution, the ripple effects could extend disastrously to congresses, primaries, and nominations conducted under such leadership, a risk that is not mere speculation but a stark reality that responsible stakeholders must consider most seriously to protect the party’s integrity.
Our concern extends far beyond Kogi State, as any internal crisis that weakens the party structure in a strategic state like this can indirectly affect national cohesion and distract from the critical work of governance at the federal level under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Importantly, this intervention is aimed squarely at protecting the leadership of the party at both national and state levels while safeguarding the collective efforts of the APC family, for any insistence on returning an outgoing chairman whose tenure is already approaching or has reached constitutional limits could expose the party to avoidable legal and political risks, unfairly placing pressure on the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the Executive Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Usman Ahmed Ododo, despite their broader responsibilities to governance and party unity, and more critically, opposition parties are closely watching for such loopholes to exploit through post-election court proceedings that could challenge APC victories and truncate the party’s hard-earned successes, making the prevention of such avoidable exposure essential to preserving party stability and protecting our electoral mandate.
We therefore state clearly and unequivocally that, as far as publicly available facts indicate, Hon. Abdullahi Bello has almost completed the maximum tenure allowed under Article 17 of the APC Constitution, and a return beyond what the constitution permits would raise serious legal and moral questions while generating avoidable tension within the party ranks.
Leadership transition is not a loss but a demonstration of institutional maturity, respect for rules, and commitment to the democratic ethos that defines the APC.We respectfully call on the appropriate national authorities within the APC to provide clear and authoritative guidance on this matter without delay, ensuring there is no room for confusion, speculation, or division that could fracture our unity.
The strength of the APC lies not in personalities but in its constitution, its discipline, and its unyielding unity, and protecting those principles today will secure the future of the party tomorrow.
Signed:
Concerned APC Stakeholders
Copied:
Pres. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
National Chairman, APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda
H.E. Yahaya Adoza Bello
H.E. Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo
All Party Stakeholders
