You must accept Audu/Faleke ticket - Kogi APC leaders

Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Kogi East and Kogi West senatorial districts said on Saturday that they would not shift grounds on Audu/Faleke ticket .

James Faleke

The party leaders from Kogi East after a crucial meeting at Ayangba rejected the decision of the party’s national working committee to nominate Alhaji Yahaya Bello as a replacement for the late Alhaji Abubakar Audu.

Prof. Isah Daniel, Vice-Chairman of the party in the zone, told newsmen at the end of the meeting that the Audu/Faleke ticket “won the Nov. 21 governorship election with or without the result of the supplementary election.

“More than 6,000 votes scored during supplementary election are not enough to deny Audu/Faleke ticket; the mandate freely given to them before the election was declared inconclusive.

“All stakeholders and party loyalists from the nine local government areas in Igala land have, therefore, resolved to stand on Audu/Faleke.’’

In a similar development, traders under the aegis of the National Association of Market Women and Men of Nigeria, Kabba-Bunu Local Government, staged a peaceful protest to expressed support for the Audu/Faleke ticket.

At a rally held in Kabba on Saturday, market leaders, Mrs Felicia Aiyeromi and Mr Stephen Oladipupo, said in separate interviews that the traders had an understanding with Faleke before the election which made them to vote APC during the election.

They called on the leadership of the party to replace Audu with Faleke in the interest of justice and fairness.

Also, at a meeting called by the leader of the APC in Kogi West Senatorial District, Rep. Buba Jibril in Lokoja, stakeholders and leaders rejected the nomination of Bello as a replacement for Audu.

The leaders, in a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, resolved that although Faleke might pursue litigation against the party over the nomination of Bello, party leaders should not foreclose peaceful negotiation.

 

Faleke must accept the verdict of Kogi people – Kogi Alliance of Democrats

Meanwhile, Faleke has been urged to respect the verdict of the Kogi people by sheathing his sword on the governorship election in the state by Kogi Alliance of Democrat, a political group.

The group made the charge in a communique issued in Lokoja Saturday morning after their 3-day retreat in the state capital. The group said the Kogi election was in conformity with the constitution of the country.

According to the communique, it is imperative to avoid plunging the country into further constitutional crisis.

It reads: “The governorship election has come and gone but the scars of the past few weeks remain indelible on the political body of the state. We are yet to move away from the constitutional camera because of the unusual occurrence about the death of the late Prince Abubakar Audu.

“To us, INEC complied substantially with the provisions of the constitution in conducting the election and in replacing the late governorship candidate with the person who came second during the primaries.

“In as much we wouldn’t want to be seen as prejudicing the cases in court on the election, the mere fact that Faleke didn’t participate in the primaries disqualified him from emerging as the candidate of the party for the supplementary poll.

“Since Faleke remains the Deputy Governor-Elect, he should accept the position and move on to avoid creating more constitutional crisis for the state, moreover he didn’t indicate interest to become governor in the first place.

“We urge all interested parties to work harmoniously together and discontinue their court cases in order to ensure their is smooth transition in Kogi State.

“As a group, we have decided to work with the Governor-Elect because we believe in his manifesto to chart a new new direction for our dear state”.

KAD also called on the State House of Assembly to discharge their responsibilities within the ambit of law, saying they should allow the interest of the state override their personal ambitions. It said the Assembly must come out to defend its name and integrity in the face of disparaging accusations of inducement from certain quarters.

You must accept Audu/Faleke ticket - Kogi APC leaders