The battle for who replaces the late Minister of State for Labour, Mr. James Ocholi (SAN), intensified on Tuesday with the two senatorial districts, Kogi East and West, battling for the slot.
Sources close to the All Progressives Congress said on Tuesday that Governor Yahaya Bello appears undecided on who to back for the ministerial slot as sources said that he was torn between using the position to end the political feud in Kogi APC and selecting one of his own core loyalists for the job.
Sources said that Bello is on one hand looking to pacify the camp of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, by pushing for the deputy governorship candidate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu, Hon James Faleke, who is in court over the Kogi election issue and selecting his Chief of Staff.
The different postulations are said to be on the cards even as stakeholders from Kogi East where Ocholi hails from are insisting on one if their own retaining the slot.
While the stakeholders in Kogi East are seeking the position as compensation for the loss of the governorship slot, those from Kogi West are insisting that the areas had been marginalised all along.
For instance, the people of Kogi West have complained that apart from dominating the governorship slot , Kogi East has also been producing ministers.
Kogi East had produced two ministers – Hon. Gabriel Adukwu and Humprey Abbah – during the late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua era, while his successor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, also picked a minister from Kogi East in the person of Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN). President Buhari also went ahead to pick a minister from Kogi East, in the person of the late Ocholi.
It was gathered that Bello is also considering the choice of Alex Kadiri, besides his Chief of Staff, for the position.
