Hundreds of aggrieved residents from Kogi Central on Wednesday stormed the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, protesting the alleged participation of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, in the party’s recently concluded senatorial primaries.
The protesters, who carried placards and chanted slogans, accused Bello of violating the APC’s constitutional procedures and undermining due process. They called on the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and President Bola Tinubu to disqualify him from emerging as the APC senatorial candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on behalf of the group, spokesperson Musa Adabara alleged that Bello failed to appear for the party’s senatorial screening exercise, claiming he travelled to Lagos instead and only returned after the process had ended. He further accused the former governor of attempting to weaken the party’s internal structure.
The protesters also raised concerns over alleged corruption-related issues involving Bello, urging security agencies to investigate him and warning that fielding him as a candidate could damage the APC’s public image and electoral chances. They insisted that his participation in the primaries breached party guidelines.
They urged the APC leadership to uphold fairness, transparency, and strict compliance with its constitution in candidate selection, warning that failure to do so could deepen internal divisions and undermine public confidence in the ruling party ahead of future elections.