Exclusive: President Buhari under pressure to name the late Ocholi replacement in FEC
– President Muhammadu Buhari is under immense pressure from politicians in and out of Kogi state
– The bone of contention is the replacement of the former minister of state for labour and productivity, Late James Ocholi
– Ocholi, former minister of state for labour and productivity died in a ghastly car crash alongside his wife, Blessing and son, Joshua
NAIJ.com has been reliably informed that the presidency has been inundated with requests and pressure from various politicians and political groups over the replacement of the late Ocholi.
Late James Ocholi
The president especially is said to have been lobbied by the politicians and groups who have used all the connections in their disposal to reach out to him.
READ ALSO: Ocholi: Igala indigenes lament the death of popular figures in Igala (photo, video)
A source in the know who squealed the information to NAIJ under the condition of anonymity, said some of those lobbying have even gone as far as reaching out to the president’s personal friends and family members.
His words: ”The race to replace the late Ocholi has been nothing short of intense as the presidency is daily bombarded with requests from different groups.
”The interesting about it all is that those pushing hard are not even Kogi indigenes but seem to have a huge interest in who emerges as the minister from the state.”
According to the source, the battle is a straight fight between the governor and a Lagos based politician who is well respected in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Yahaya Bello and the late James Ocholi
”The governor is not losing sleep over the fact that he is the authentic leader of the party in Kogi state by virtue of his position despite plans to frustrate him.
”The Lagos politician though seem to be having an edge as he has been able to get the leadership of the Kogi state chapter of the APC on his side.
”But the governor who is desperate to stamp his feet a leader reckon with in his state, has been reaching out to personal friends and family members of the president to make a case for him,’‘ the source said.
NAIJ.com findings also revealed that the recent defection of a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator to the APC is part of the political re-alignments going on in Kogi state to replace the late Ocholi at the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The senator who completed the defection on Friday, April 8, represented the Kogi west senatorial district in the 6th and 7th Senate.
When NAIJ broke the story about the lobbying to replace Ocholi days after his death, a source in the late Ocholi’s camp confirmed the authenticity of the story. According to him the lobbying started even before the late Ocholi was buried.
Members of Ocholi Youth Network, mourning their leader on the day of his burial
NAIJ got across to Mr Abdulkarim Abdulmaleek, the special assistant to Governor Bello on media and strategy, on the issue and he described the story as a ”mere rumour”.
READ ALSO: 5 popular court cases of the late James Ocholi (S.A.N)
Meanwhile, stakeholders and elders of the APC in Adavi local government area of Kogi state have vowed to suspend the embattled state chairman of the party, Alhaji Haddi Ametuo and Senator Mohammed Ohiare.
The duo have been chided for their alleged attempt to smear the name and office of the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello with the purported vote of no confidence letter written to the national secretariat of the APC.
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