Niger APC crisis: Sen Umaru battles Gov Bello

The senator representing Niger East senatorial zone has accused Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of marginalizing his zone in the appointment of key officials of the government. This has deepened the crisis in the ruling APC. DANIEL AMASINGHA in Minna reports

The crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State has assumed a new dimension, as Senator David Umaru urged Governor Abubakar Sani Bello to separate himself from the ‘cabal’ who do not mean well for him and the current administration.

Governor Bello and Senator Umaru are at loggerheads over the appointment of key officials of the government, particularly the Secretary to State Government (SSG) who is said to be from the same area with the governor, while the people of zone ‘B’ is said to have been completely sidelined in the scheme of affairs in the state.

The cold war between the two APC strongmen our Correspondent gathered has led to the fractionalization of the APC in the state. Members are divided between the two, including the two other senators who are said not to be too comfortable with what is happening in the state.

Sen. Umaru while reacting to the governor’s claim during a breakfast meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state that he (Umaru) had retracted his condemnation of key appointments, insisted that ‘I stand by my words’.

Gov Bello during the breakfast meeting also claimed that Umaru said the statement demanding for equal representation of zones A, B and C was personal and was not made on behalf of the people of Niger East (zone B) which he represents at the National Assembly.

Umaru, representing Niger-East (zone B) have shortly after the announcements faulted key appointments so far made by Bello, citing a clear deviation from the rule of federal character principle which provides that; religion, tribal and senatorial considerations must be respected.

Apart from the principles of Federal Character, Umaru had in a statement argued that fairness and equity were never considered, particularly in making the key appointments and therefore insisted that the three senatorial zones should be equally represented in the government.

He maintained that the ‘wrongs’ should be ‘righted’ as a way of ensuring equal representation for all the three senatorial zones that voted for the APC in Niger State. He said he chose his words and as such could not have retracted his position on such critical issue of marginalization of his people.

He said the appointment of the SSG from the same geographical area with the governor was aimed at short changing zone ‘B’, after zone ‘C’ and zone ‘A’ had shared the positions of the governor and that of deputy governor respectively.

Umaru therefore advised Gov Bello to do away with the cabal that is now controlling his administration from behind the scene, in order to be more open to the people and avoid destruction of the goodwill showered on the APC by the electorate in the state.

“I have never made a statement and retracted it. I do not see any reason why I should make this statement and retract it. I am aware that the governor said that zone ‘B’ do not have a leader. I think it is fool hardy for anybody to say such a thing. My politics have always been people oriented and I have never pretended to do otherwise”, Umaru pointed out.

According to him, “Any statement I made is as a result of my interactions with my people after taking position on issues. I have always spoken for the people and I will always speak for the people I represent their interest at the senate”.

“On this issue of appointments, I spoke for the people of zone B. Whether anybody likes it or not today by the special Grace of God, I am the senator representing Niger East and automatically that made me a leader of the zone. I do not need anybody to speak for me”, Umaru stressed.

“The governor cannot speak for me; he can only speak for himself. I spoke on the behalf of my people and I will always speak for them”, Umaru adds. He insisted that except he do away with some self seeking people that pose to be his friends, Bello could be lured into political pitfalls that will cause more harm than good to the state.

While urging his critics not to see his views on important matters such as the marginalization of zone B as being unnecessarily antagonistic to the government, the senator however said he cannot be a party to a situation that will nurture dictatorship in Niger State.

“I am being helpful to the governor by pointing out the obvious fact because he probably has people who can only tell him what he wants to hear, and not what the people feel. It seems they are trying to elevate sycophancy to a certain height.

“That is not the way I do my things. I will always say the truth. There is the saying that, truth is bitter but they should learn to accept this bitter pill because that is what we need to grow as a state, because speaking out would save the state from greater problems tomorrow.