AN OPEN PETITION TO THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC)
Cc: National Secretary, National Legal Adviser; Members of the National Working Committee (NWC);
Concerned Party Stakeholders
Your Excellency,
National Chairman, All Progressives
Congress (APC)
National Secretariat, Abuja
Urgent Clarification on the Tenure Status and Eligibility of the Kogi State APC Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Bello, in Order to Avert Legal and Flectoral Risks to the Party.
Urgent Clarification on the Tenure Status and Eligibility of the Kogi State APC Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Bello, in Order to Avert Legal and Electoral Risks to the Party
Your Excellency,
As deeply concerned members of the All Progressives Congress who are committed to the long-term stability, legality, and electoral success of our great party. Our intention is not to malign any individual, but to draw urgent attention to a matter that poses significant legal, constitutional, and electoral risks, especially in light of recent national precedents.
This petition concerns the true tenure status and re-election eligibility of the current Chairman of APC in Kogi State, Hon. Abdullahi Bello, who has publicly indicated interest in seeking another term in office. Based on available facts, party records, and the APC Constitution, we believe this issue requires immediate intervention and formal clarification from the National Working Committee (NWC) to avoid future crises
1. Why This Matter Is Urgent
Your Excellency, history has shown
—most notably in the Zamfara APC case (2019)-that internal party irregularities, especially involving primaries, leadership legitimacy, or congress procedures, can lead to catastrophic electoral outcomes, including the disqualification of all candidates. As loyal party members, we cannot allow a similar scenario to arise anywhere again-least of all in a strategic state like Kogi.
Failure to address the tenure issue surrounding the Kogi State Chairman now may expose the party to avoidable litigation, which could threaten the validity of future party primaries, congresses, and nomination processes in the state.
2. Summary of Facts Regarding Hon. Abdullahi Bello's Tenure
Based on publicly available information and party-reported activities:
a. Emergence in 2018
* In May 2018, parallel state congresses were held in Kogi State.
* At the Congress conducted at Confluence Stadium, Lokoja, Hon.
Abdullahi Bello emerged as State Chairman.
• This congress was monitored by
INEC, and he was recognised and addressed by the media as the substantive State Chairman from 2018 onward.
b. Continuous Occupancy of Office
• From 2018 to date (2025), Hon.
Bello has been consistently referred to-across multiple reputable media outlets and party communications-as either:
* State Chairman, or
* State Caretaker Chairman during the CECPC transition period.
* At no point was he out of office;
when continuous
c. Fresh Election in 2021
• On 17 October 2021, following the nationwide congresses supervised by the CECPC, Hon. Bello was again formally elected as State Chairman at the APC State Congress in Kogi.
d. NEC Extension of Tenure
• The National Executive Committee
(NEC) extended the tenure of ward, local government, and state party executives until 31 December 2025.
• This means Hon. Bello will have served approximately 7½ consecutive years by the end of 2025.
3. The Position of the APC�Constitution (Article 17)
Article 17 of the APC Constitution (as amended) states clearly:
* All party officers serve for four (4) years and may be re-elected once only.
• No member shall serve more than eight (8) continuous years in the same office, except someone who:
1. First came to office by filling a vacancy, or
2. Whose tenure was truncated by a party organ.
Your Excellency, Hon. Bello's situation does not clearly fall under these exemptions. There is no record of:
* Any formal declaration by a party organ truncating his tenure, nor
* Any formal interpretation that his initial emergence as Chairman in 2018 was "acting capacity" or
"vacancy replacement."
Thus, by all publicly available records, he has:
• Been elected twice (2018 and
2021), and
• Served continuously since 2018.
This places him within the two-term limit, and dangerously close to the
8-year maximum, making any fresh bid for another term a potential violation of Article 17.
4. Risks to the Party if This Issue Is Not Addressed
If Hon. Bello recontests or continues in office without a clear, formal, constitutional justification from the NWC:
a. Legal Challenges Are Inevitable Aggrieved stakeholders could challenge:
* His eligibility,
* The validity of the State Executive Committee he leads,
* And by extension, the validity of primaries conducted under him.
b. Potential Replication of the Zamfara 2019 Scenario
If a court later determines that:
* The State Chairman was not lawfully in office, or
* Congresses/primaries were not conducted by a lawfully constituted party organ,
Then all APC candidates in Kogi State may be disqualified, regardless of their popularity or victory at the polls.
This is not a hypothetical fear-the Supreme Court has already established this precedent.
c. Threat to Party Unity
Perceptions of tenure manipulation or disregard for constitutional limits undermine:
* Grassroots trust,
* Internal democracy,
* And party credibility.
5. Our Respectful Prayer to the�NWC
In order to protect the party, uphold the APC Constitution, and prevent avoidable crises, we humbly request that the National Chairman, working with the National Legal Adviser and National Secretary:
(1) Issue a Formal, Written Clarification.
On whether Hon. Abdullahi Bello is eligible to seek another term as State Chairman under Article 17.
(2) Determine, officially, whether:
* The 2018 election counts as a full term,
* The 2021 election counts as his second term, and
* His cumulative tenure from 2018 to 2025 counts against the 8-year cap.
(3) Provide Binding Guidance
To the Kogi State APC on:
* The legality of allowing Hon. Bello to recontest,
* Or the necessity of rotating the position to another qualified party member to preserve compliance.
(4) Communicate This Decision
Publicly
To prevent misinformation, tension, and factional interpretations at the state level.
6. Conclusion
Your Excellency, this petition is driven solely by loyalty to the party, and by a desire to avoid an outcome that could jeopardize APC's electoral standing in Kogi State.
Only the National Working Committee can resolve this matter authoritatively and forestall future turmoil. We therefore appeal for urgent action, guided by the constitution, equity, and the long-term good of the party.
We trust in your leadership and constitutional fidelity.
With highest respect, Concerned APC Stakeholders.
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