Mass Resignation in Gombe APC Over Goje, Inuwa Feud

Nseobong Okon-Ekong writes that the face-off between Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and a former governor of the state, Senator Danjuma Goje continues to get messier

About 80 per cent of ward executives of All Progressives Congress (APC) from Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area Gombe State, have resigned their position over Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje and Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya feud.

The ward executives, which constitute about 80 per cent of the entire ward executives, announced the decision last Thursday after a stakeholders’ meeting.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, immediate past chairman of APC in Yamaltu/Deba LGA, Alhaji Sulaiman Ibrahim, said the ward executives resigned from their respective offices in protest to the disrespect and ‘attack’ on Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje’s convoy, three weeks ago.

He said the party leaders arrived at the decision after a stakeholders’ meeting of the party executives from the LGA.

According to him, the executives condemned the attack and decided to align with the Senator considering the fatherly role he has been playing towards the development of the state and the country at large.

He added that to well-meaning party members in the state, Senator Goje is the only recognized leader of the APC and deserve utmost respect considering the critical role he played in forming and nurturing the party.

“In fact, it was the key role he played that culminated to the emergence of Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya as governor of the state and victory of the party across all levels.

“Therefore, as political leaders of APC in the 11 wards of Yamaltu/Deba LGA. We hereby affirm our support and loyalty to Senator Goje as the genuine and recognized leader of the APC in Gombe state,” he declared.

The party chieftain added that the unmatched achievement of Senator Goje in the last 10 years through numerous constituency project that have direct bearings on the lives of people, couldn’t be overemphasise.

He added that Senator Goje has executed numerous projects in each and every 11 wards of Akko and Yamaltu/Deba LGAs, which constituted the Gombe Central Senatorial Districts.

Each of the executives that resigned their position took turn to speak after appending their signature and announced their resolve to continue to support the Senator politically.

Earlier in the month, the daughter of Goje, Hussaina resigned as the state’s Commissioner for Environment and Forest Resources, one day after suspected political thugs assaulted her father.

Goje, a serving senator, has been in a running political battle with incumbent Governor Muhammadu Yahaya. Both men denied the rift until the public attack against Goje took their relationship into an unavoidable bad curve.

Although Goje’s daughter attributed her resignation to “personal reasons,” which she refused to disclose, the timing of her exit from the Gombe executive council raised telling questions.

The new twist of mass resignation is not only a pointer to the worsening relationship between the two political leaders in Gombe, but may herald more resignation in solidarity with Goje, while weakening Governor Yahaya.