Govs Bello, Udom at each other’s throats over Melaye

The Governor Yahaya Bello-led government of Kogi State has described as unfortunate Akwa Ibom State Governor Emmanuel Udom’s defense of Senator Dino Melaye against the move by the Kogi West senatorial district to recall the senator.

Bello lamented how that Governor Udom could have labeled Melaye, ‘General’ out of all the serving senators in the country.

Udom had last week at an empowerment program organised by the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, declared support for Melaye and cautioned against his recall while also describing him as a “performing” senator.

He had added, “If you take back the general, is it the recruit that will go and fight for you in politics?”

But unhappy with those remarks, Kogi government in a statement released and signed by the Director-Generall on Media and Publicity to the governor, Kingsley Fanwo, frowned at Udom’s defense of Melaye.

The statement read in part, “The Kogi State government is appalled by a viral video depicting the unfortunate and very public intervention of His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, in the very justified and constitutionally unimpeachable move by constituents of Kogi West senatorial district to recall Senator Dino.

Read also: Kogi govt has spent over N10m on Sen Melaye’s recall –Senate

“We believe that Governor Udom’s unveiled disdain for a long-suffering people trudging the booby-trapped path to recall of their senator in a bid to recover their dignity is uncalled for.

“Governor Udom’s scathing rebuke for Kogi West people who are engaged in legal pursuit of their legitimate aspiration to terminate irresponsible representation goes against all democratic norms. It also does gratuitous violence to the customary esprit de corps which ordinarily ought to actuate the conduct of brother Governors and States towards one another in the Nigerian polity.”

The process to recall Melaye has worsened the already intense face-off between Melaye and Bello who have taken turns to attack and accuse each other of damaging allegations, including the senator’s claim that Bello masterminded an assassination attempt on his life.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

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