Kogi Election: Crisis rocking APC deepens

ABUJA—The All Progressives Congress, APC, was last night tethering towards a major crisis over the strong positions of major stakeholders on resolving the problems arising from the death of its candidate in the Kogi State governorship election, Prince Abubakar Audu.

The crisis in the party, it was learnt, was also quietly seeping into the presidency with senior presidency officials taking different positions on the issue.

James Faleke

At the centre of the crisis, as exclusively reported by Vanguard last Friday, was the decision of the party acting in concert with associates of President Muhammadu Buhari to present Alhaji Yahaya Bello who came second in the APC governorship primaries as the new candidate of the party. The party had also pencilled James Faleke, who was Audu’s running mate in the penultimate weekend election, as also running mate to Bello.

However, Faleke, who had earlier through his lawyer, Wole Olanikpekun written the party to lay his claim to the mandate of the late Audu, at the weekend, further stoked tempers with his formal decision to reject his nomination as Bello’s running mate.

In a letter to the party’s national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Faleke flatly rejected his nomination as running mate to Bello, who he accused of betraying the party in its time of need.

Against the background of the death of Audu, party officials acting in concert with associates of President Buhari, it was learnt, had pencilled down Bello as the new candidate upon his second place finishing in the party primaries with Faleke as running mate. Under the plans, Mohammed Audu, son of the late candidate was also being proposed as Secretary to the State Government to assuage the camp of the late Audu.

However, the plans were seriously being undermined, last night, with reports that Faleke was set to go to court with three Senior Advocates of Nigeria, including one from Kogi State enlisted to push his case at a Federal High Court today.

The party, last night was nonetheless, pushing ahead with Bello. Bello, who according to sources, had been told by party officials not to leave Abuja was, last night, invited to present himself at the party secretariat this morning for his unveiling as the new APC candidate in Kogi State.

Reflective of his new status, security around Bello has been raised with military, police and Department of State Service operatives giving him all round security.

Despite the antagonisms towards him, Bello has been reaching out by telephone to leading stakeholders. Among those he is believed to have reached were Faleke and Chief Clarence Olafemi, who is one of the staunch pillars behind Faleke. Vanguard could not confirm the details of their discussion. Bello has reached Prof. Isaiah Daniel, the director general of the Abubakar Audu Campaign Organisation seeking his support.

His efforts nonetheless, those pushing for Faleke argued that Bello distanced himself from the party immediately he lost the party primaries. It was being said last night that he did not present himself at the two rallies attended by Vice-President Yemi Osinbanjo at Lokoja and Okene.

INEC gives APC tomorrow deadline

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, meanwhile yesterday affirmed that the APC has until tomorrow to substitute the late Audu.

The commission had earlier refuted claims that it gave a deadline to the party to forward the name of its new candidate.

However, Deputy Director in charge of Publicity at the commission, Nick Dazang told Vanguard,last night, that the party has till December 1, to submit the name of its candidate. He was however, silent on whether INEC would retain the late Audu’s name on the ballot paper should the party fail to do the needful before the deadline.

“APC has been requested to submit a candidate before or on December 1, 2015”, he said, directing further enquiries to the party.

In his letter to Odigie-Oyegun rejecting his nomination as running mate to Bello, Faleke also asserted the fact that the APC lost in Bello’s polling unit and ward, points he projected to reflect his claim that Bello worked against the party during the elections.

Faleke rejects APC offer

In the letter to the national chairman dated November 27, 2015 which was also copied to INEC and the APC national secretary, Faleke said:

RE: My purported nomination as Deputy Governor

Information at my disposal from the National Secretariat of our party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and my telephone conversation with your good self, confirmed to me that the party had issued INEC form and submitted my name as running mate to Alhaji Yahaya Bello in the forthcoming unusual and strange governorship elections scheduled for December 5, 2015, covering 91 polling units in Kogi State, to elect a “supplementary governor.”

Mr. Chairman, you may recall that an election was conducted on November 21, 2015 in which I was running mate to the late Prince Audu Abubakar. I, therefore, remain fully committed to that joint ticket which received the blessings of the party leadership including your good self evident from your attendance at the campaign rallies to ensure total victory for our great party through which the people of Kogi State massively and overwhelmingly voted for us.

Following the demise of my principal after the announcement of results from the polling units, wards, local government areas and the state, our party had the highest number of votes of 240,867 against PDP’s 199,514 thus creating a difference of 41,353 votes between the two leading parties. On the strength of this, I hereby state clearly that I remain the Governor-elect of Kogi State on the platform of our great party.

Please take this letter as confirmation to disassociate myself from this unusual and strange supplementary nomination of my humble self as running mate to Alhaji Yahaya Bello. This also serves as a notice of rejection of the purported illegal nomination of myself as running mate to Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

I wish to put it on record that I was neither consulted nor informed by anybody before my name was submitted as running mate to a man who has since the conduct of the primaries, abandoned the party, took the party to court, worked for PDP thereby causing our party to lose his polling units with 88 votes to his ally party, the PDP’s 116, repeating same feat at the ward level with APC scoring 1,146 to PDP’s 2,058.

While it is true that the said Alhaji Yahaya Bello participated in our primaries, it is trite that party primaries are conducted to produce a candidate and once a candidate is produced, the congress being an ad hoc tool of the party for that purpose should automatically extinguish.

It is clear from this injustice, that our party is on the path of rewarding disloyalty and discouraging loyalty through this act of impunity for which we all fought the PDP.

It may also interest you Mr. Chairman, that the said Alhaji Yahaya Bello since the conduct of the primaries had been aloof from the party activities as it is on record that he did not attend a single meeting or campaign rally of the party.

Mr Chairman, I am sure that it is neither in your interest nor that of the party in particular and the public in general to lord an illegality on the people of Kogi State.

Please take note that I am not interested in surrendering the mandate of the people of Kogi State bestowed on the Audu/Faleke joint ticket at the Nov 21 polls as I remain the Governor-elect.

Sir, I believe in the leadership of our great party to resolve this in the shortest possible time, failure upon which I shall be forced to seek redress in the Court of law.

In the same vein, APC youths from Kogi East continued their protest against Bello, yesterday.

Some of the youths attacked dignitaries at the 8th day prayer for the late Prince Audu at Ogbonicha on Sunday.

Senator Ahmadu Ali, a former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party and Senator Nicholas Ugbane who represented the Kogi East Senatorial Zone between 2003 and 2011 were among the victims of the attack. Their vehicles were allegedly vandalized by the rampaging youths who were heard chanting songs in support of Mohammed Audu, son of the late Prince Abubakar Audu.

The youths threatened to disrupt the December 5 supplementary poll unless Mohammed Audu is fielded by the All Progressives Congress as replacement for his father.

Kogi Election: Crisis rocking APC deepens

KOGI ELECTION IMPASSE: Protests over Audu’s replacement

Protests rocked Kogi State, yesterday, following a report that a candidate had been picked by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Saturday’s governorship supplementary election outside Kogi East, dominated by Igala people where the Prince Abubakar Audu, the late candidate of the party, hailed from.

Abubakar Audu

The report had said, yesterday, that the APC leadership had picked Audu’s closest rival in the party’s primary ahead of the Kogi governorship election, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to replace the deceased in the supplementary election.

Separately, the APC leadership denied that the party had given the governorship ticket to Bello.

Bello is Ebira, from Kogi Central, while the Igala people are rooting for one of their own and Audu’s son, Mohammed, to pick the APC ticket.

Protesting youths of Igala extraction, yesterday, blocked River Benue Bridge, to drive home their demand that Igala should get the APC ticket.

They threatened to destroy the bridge at a location called Itobe.

There were similar protests in Ochadamu in Dekina Local Government Area and Idah.

Meanwhile, youths of Kogi West, under the aegis of Okun Youths Forum, cautioned against throwing the state into crisis on the grounds of a non-Igala emerging as the APC candidate for the supplementary election.

At press time, police were said to be battling to disperse the protesters who took over River Benue Bridge as they grew in number.

The protest caused traffic gridlock on both sides of the bridge as motorists could not proceed.

One of the leaders of the protesters said any attempt by the Ebira to take power through the backdoor would be vehemently rejected.

“We voted for the late Prince Abubakar Audu, an Igalaman. We didn’t vote for Yahaya Bello. Bringing in an Ebira man to replace an Igala will lead to chaos. The Okun and Ebira will need to wait for their time. APC should retrace its steps”, he said apparently referring to the purported nomination of Bello as the APC candidate.

 

Bonfires

At Ochadamu Junction leading to  Anyigba, the nerve centre of Igala commerce, bonfires were seen on the road.

Some youths were also sighed protesting on the streets of Anyigba, Ajaka, Abejukolo, Ankpa and Ogbonicha, the home town of  Audu.

The protest assumed riotous dimension at Idah where the youths were heard chanting, “No Mohammed Audu, no supplementary poll,” in their local dialect.

Also, the homes of those they claimed were trying to trade Igala interest were targeted by the protesters.

A leader of the youths told Sunday Vanguard  they will make Kogi ungovernable if Mohammed did not replace his late father as the APC governorship candidate.

 

Okun back Ebira

However, the Okun Youths Forum, warned against throwing the state into crisis just because a non-Igala was going to be governor for the first time in the history of Kogi, saying   the choice of  Bello was constitutional.

The group called on the Igala to wait till 2019 when they would have another democratic window to be governor.

Speaking to Sunday Vanguard in Lokoja, the spokesman for the group, Adebayo Aaron, said Kogi is a collective enterprise belonging to three senatorial districts. He said the three districts are equal partners.

 

Alleged conspiracy

Also, yesterday, a chieftain of APC, Dr. Ohikere, warned the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun, against  any act capable of setting the state on fire.

Ohikere, who was the Head of Media, Audu/Faleke Campaign, during a press conference  in Lokoja,  accused President Muhammadu Buhari of injecting what he described as a northern agenda  into the Kogi election.

Ohikere said the Presidency and APC leadership were fully aware of the law, that a running mate to a deceased candidate in an election should step in as the party’s flag bearer. “But it has been a grand conspiracy between the party leadership and the Presidency to ensure that a Muslim is used as a replacement to  the late Prince Abubakar Audu, who died on the 22 of November,” he said.

“The state will not only catch fire, but also the late Prince Audu will rise from the grave and unleash terror on anyone involved in this conspiracy.”

 

The APC rebuttal

In a related development, the APC leadership said, yesterday, it had not settled for Bello as replacement for Audu in the supplementary election, saying a decision will be taken tomorrow (Monday).

The Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Timi Frank, told Sunday Vanguard the APC was yet to decide on Audu’s replacement.

“We are still consulting on the issue. We would take a final stand on the issue of Audu’s replacement on Monday and we are definitely going to issue a statement on the issue”, he said.

KOGI ELECTION IMPASSE: Protests over Audu’s replacement

Kogi Election: Audu"s supporters push son as replacement

There were strong indications on Wednesday that the campaign organisation of the late Kogi State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Abubakar Audu, was preparing a ground for the emergence of the deceased’s son, Mohammed, as a replacement for his father.

Abubakar Audu

Audu died on Sunday, a few hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared the November 21 governorship poll in the state inconclusive.

The deceased had polled 240,867 votes in the election while the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate and incumbent state Governor, Capt. Idris Wada (retd.), scored 199,514 votes, leaving a gap of 41,353 votes between the two leading candidates in the election.

INEC had declared the election inconclusive on the grounds that cancelled votes or registered voters in the 91 polling units, where the exercise did not take place were 49,953, a figure higher than Audu’s lead of 41,353 votes.

A leader of the APC in the state, who confided in The PUNCH, said the dominant view in the organisation was that Mohammed should join the race.

It was gathered that a few members of the group had also suggested that Audu’s running mate in last Saturday’s election, Mr. James Faleke, should contest the primary.

It was gathered that members of the group, which dominates the APC in the state, met on Tuesday night following the party’s declaration that another primary would be held to produce a replacement for the late governorship candidate.

The commission had on Tuesday written the APC, directing it to submit a replacement for the late Audu while the party said it would hold a fresh primary to produce a replacement for the deceased APC standard bearer.

The APC leader, who confided in The PUNCH, said the late Audu’s political structure was still intact despite his death.

He stated that nobody could win the state governorship primary of the APC without the backing of Audu’s supporters.

The source said, “Abubakar Audu’s supporters, including his campaign structure, are rooting for either Audu’s son, Mohammed, or James Faleke for them not to lose out entirely. They are narrowing it to either Faleke or Mohammed because the APC machinery believes that the election has been won. But the party elders and leaders, who worked for him, will be more comfortable with Mohammed.

The spokesperson for the APC in Kogi State, Abdulmalik Suleiman, said, “We are mourning. This is the time for sober reflection and we are praying for our late leader and icon. At the appropriate time, the public will know because APC has a way of solving its issues and problems.”

One of our correspondents, however, learnt that despite the state of mourning in the party in the state, no fewer than four aspirants have started jostling to emerge as a replacement for Audu in the supplementary election on December 5.

These aspirants, it was learnt, included Faleke, who was Audu’s running mate in last Saturday’s poll; Yahaya Bello; a former PDP governorship aspirant, Jubrin Echocho, and Salihu Atawodi.

While Faleke is from the Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi West Senatorial District, Bello is from Okene in Kogi Central.

Echocho, who defected from the PDP to the APC after failing to clinch the governorship ticket of the former, is from Dekina LGA in Kogi East Senatorial District, the same zone as the incumbent governor, Wada.

Atawodi is from Dekina LGA and contested against Audu during the APC governorship primary.

Meanwhile, the National Working Committee of the APC postponed its meeting earlier scheduled to hold on Wednesday.

The National Chairman of the Party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said the postponement was to allow key officials of the party to fully participate in the burial of Chief HID Awolowo, who was buried on Wednesday in Ikenne, Ogun State.

The NWC had scheduled the meeting to deliberate on the date and modalities for fresh primary to elect a replacement for Audu.

Despite the postponement of the meeting, a group of youths under the aegis of Kogi Youth Vanguard, stormed the party headquarters to demand that Audu’s running mate, Faleke, be given the mandate to represent the party in the supplementary election.

Leader of the group, Bamidele Peters, who claimed to be from Kogi East, said, “Though we sympathise with the family of the late APC governorship candidate , Abubakar Audu, and the Kogi electorate, who voted for the APC, we feel that this mandate is not just for an individual but the entire party.

“We think the election should be allowed to be concluded and that there should be no replacement for the candidate until after the election. The party will after the election be able to replace its candidate.

“Our own interest under the circumstance is to ensure that the supplementary election is concluded. Even if the party will replace its candidate, it should be after the election; and I feel that if possible, the running mate, Abiodun Faleke, should be allowed to step in to replace the late governorship candidate.

In a related development, the Democratic Peoples Congress has demanded that a fresh governorship election should be conducted in Kogi State following the death of the candidate of the APC.

The National chairman of the DPC, Rev. Olusegun Peters, said this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

Peters said, “The party rejects INEC’s position to continue the November 1 poll by conducting a supplementary election for 91 polling units on December 5, 2015.

“It is inappropriate for INEC to direct the APC to choose another candidate to substitute the late Audu and continue the governorship election when the people voted for the candidacy of Audu and not the yet-to-be-selected candidate the electorate did not vote for.”

According to him, the DPC strongly opposes the attempt by INEC and the ruling APC to impose a candidate on the people of Kogi State in what he described as a violation of democratic ideals.

The party chairman added, “We demand a fresh governorship election that will reflect the will of the people. This is the only way the nation’s frail democracy will be deepened and strengthened to provide its dividends to the long suffering compatriots.”

Meanwhile, a former Governor of Cross River State, Chief Clement Ebri, has called on the national leadership of the APC to consider fielding one of the children of the late Audu as a replacement.

In an interview with our correspondent in Calabar on Wednesday, Ebri, who was the governor of the state between 1992 and 1993, said the late APC candidate in the November 21 inconclusive governorship election was fortunate to have adult children, who were capable of filling the vacuum created by Audu’s demise.

Ebri said, “I agree that this is a democracy and not a monarchy; but to my knowledge, more than one of the late Audu’s children have the capacity to take up the ticket. I have seen them and I know them to have the capacity. So, why the party is still thinking of what to do, here is a suggestion – put another Audu in there.

“In 1991, when we were running our elections, Dr. Joe Nwodo was disqualified and the party got his younger brother to replace him. That was Ekwezelieze Nwodo, who did a great job.

“I am sure that the circumstance we have today dictates that we even consider that. By that way, the labour of the late Audu, who had never given up and had sacrificed for his people, will not be in vain.”

Kogi Election: Audu"s supporters push son as replacement

Audu’s replacemet: Kogi APC leaders divided on Bello, Faleke

Less than 24 after the remains of Prince Abubakar Audu was committed to mother earth, the leadership of the opposition All Progressives Congress may have settled for James Faleke as the candidate for the remaining supplementary election or a rerun, Vanguard can reliably inform.

Abubakar Audu

There were meetings at Lokoja and Abuja by the leaders of the party on Tuesday, ostensibly to find a way round the circle of confusion engulfing the death of its governorship candidate in last Saturday’s governorship election that had been declared inconclusive.

It is yet to be known if Audu died before the commencement of collation in Lokoja or after the election was declared inconclusive.

It was rumoured that the former governor died after hearing about the inconclusiveness of the process due to the cancellation of close to 50,000 votes.

Meanwhile, a family source told Vanguard that Audu died in the early hours of Sunday. The concealment of the news of his death was said to have been informed by political exigencies.

The source said: “Prince died before daybreak on Sunday. But some people told us to conceal the news so as not to play into the hands of political opponents. The death was shrouded in secrecy because we got to know that Audu’s death was not natural”.

A group, Kogi United Forum has however called on the police to investigate a certain political leader from the South West over Audu’s death.

The APC has since discovered they have no luxury of mourning for two long with the cobwebs of legality weaving around the Kogi governorship. The past 24 hours has led to the appearance of many knives on the day of the elephant’s death. Many legal experts have been shedding light on the way out of the constitutional logjam.

On its part, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress have been holding clandestine meetings at both Lokoja and Abuja.

A source told Vanguard that President Muhammadu Buhari has instructed the National Working Committee of the APC to ensure the law, and not individuals, is satisfied by its decisions on the Kogi matter.

It is believed that the group loyal to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu may have resolved to project Hon. Abiodun Faleke to take over the candidature of the late Prince Audu. The State Executive Committee of the party was said to have resolved to push the Faleke option through.

However, another group within the party which initially resisted the choice of Faleke as running mate, is bent on fielding someone from among the aspirants who contested the party’s governorship primaries in August.

Efforts at reaching the Chairman of APC in Kogi, Alh. Haddi Ametuo proved abortive as he failed to pick calls made to his phone.

He was said to be attending meetings related to the governorship election in Kogi.

A source who is a member of the State Working Committee of APC told Vanguard on condition of anonymity that the party is under tremendous pressure to go with Faleke.

“It is true. We are under pressure to ensure Faleke becomes the next governor of the state. But some of our leaders are insisting that Yahaya Bello is the right candidate to step in. Nothing has been decided yet but the thinking now among the State Executive Committee is to support Faleke”.

The Presidency’s Angle

The source also told Vanguard that the body language on the corridors of the Villa doesn’t favour a Faleke candidature.

Many chieftains of the party at the Villa are said to be rooting for Alh. Yahaya Bello

Audu’s replacemet: Kogi APC leaders divided on Bello, Faleke

Audu still APC candidate, we are ignorant of his death - INEC

ABUJA — The anti-climax arising from the death of Prince Abubakar Audu in the Kogi State governorship election continued yesterday after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC affirmed that the dead Audu remained the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Abubakar Audu

The assertion came as a meeting of senior INEC officials in Abuja called to ponder possible options on the issue was temporarily aborted after news emerged that Audu had ‘resurrected’.

The dispersal of the meeting coincided with jubilations in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital that Audu had been revived.

The news of Audu’s ‘revival’ about midday followed insistence of some prophets who stormed the late Audu’s country home in Ogbonicha, that they would revive him. The prophets, who were initially rebuffed by Audu’s family members, however, got passage into the room where the corpse was kept after desperate sympathisers overwhelmed the family members and broke the door to the room.

While they prayed, the grave diggers who all along had been busy at one section of Audu’s expansive country home relaxed. The relaxation in part gave fillip to rumours that Audu was being revived, a development that spread far and wide, even to INEC headquarters.

When they reconvened after the initial disruption, senior INEC officials affirmed that the commission was ignorant of Audu’s death.

INEC, however, said although it heard the news of Audu’s passing just like most other Nigerians, it was nevertheless meticulously studying the situation with a view to coming up with an appropriate position that would be fair, lawful and acceptable to all. Director of Voter Education, Publicity, Civil Society and Gender Liaison at the Commission, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzi  told Vanguard yesterday that INEC would make its position public as soon as it was addressed by APC on the issue.

Last night APC officials were still contemplating the nature of address to be presented to the electoral commission. Contacted on assertions by INEC, APC deputy national publicity secretary, Timi Frank promised to call back after further consultations. He, however, did not call back or respond to calls to his mobile phone at press time.

It is expected that whenever the APC addresses the commission that the principal officials of the body would meet with its consortium of lawyers and its in-house legal team to decide on the issue.

APC has to notify us  — INEC

Also speaking, Deputy Director, Publicity at the commission, Mr Nick Dazang, said yesterday: “APC has to do proper notification, and accompany it with the certificate of death issued by a medical doctor.

“When something like this happens, the party on which platform the candidate contested will need to notify the commission; of course, we have heard and read like everyone else but we need to be notified.

“Once the commission is notified, it will look at relevant clauses of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the Electoral Act 2010 as amended and also the Constitution of APC itself.

“All these relevant laws will be looked at with a view to determining what to be done to ensure that whatever is done subsequently is done within the ambit of the law.

“INEC as a law-abiding body will do everything prescribed by the law.

“Thankfully we have a consortium of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) that provide counsel to the commission. We also have a very vibrant legal service department, headed by a SAN,” Dazang said.

The Electoral Act prescribes 14 days for the conduct of a supplementary poll. INEC was, however, silent on whether it would go ahead with the supplementary polls but said it would not rely on mere opinions of people or sentiments to take a position. INEC added that the situation in Kogi would not affect the conduct of the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa state.

We’ll be within the law — APC

Meanwhile, the APC has promised to act within the confines of the law in resolving issues concerning the replacement of its governorship candidate in the election and the pursuit of the supplementary elections as announced by INEC. In a statement issued by its national secretary, Mai Mala Buni, the party said:

“On INEC’s position that the November 21, 2015, governorship poll in Kogi State was inconclusive, APC is studying the declaration of the Returning Officer, Prof. Emmanuel Kucha, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, based on Section M, Paragraph 4(Page 22) of INEC Approved Guidelines and Regulations for the Conduct of the 2015 General Elections.

“APC believes in the rule of law, strict adherence to 1999 Constitution and Electoral Act 2010(as Amended).

“Our government is a product of the rule of law. We have absolute faith in the nation’s law, and we will not in any manner undermine the law. Our observations and position will be within the laws of the land.

“The situation in Kogi State is a test case for the rule of law and our growing democracy. APC is committed to its pledge to ensure a sustainable democracy in the country”, it said.

The declaration to explore all options available to it on the matter was contained in a press statement issued by the party’s deputy national publicity secretary, Mr. Timi Frank.

He said: “We are exploring all known choices and alternatives to us in line with our party’s dictates and respect of the rule of law as is in conformity with laid down laws and rules of our country.

“To say that we are shocked and dumbfounded at Audu’s death is to scratch our pains on the surface as the Kogi Prince typified what a real democrat radiates. A politician who chose to remain in opposition after losing his governorship in 2003 despite the intimidations on him but rather chose to see the nation get its deserved change in leadership”, Frank said.

Audu buried

Ogbonicha in Ofu Local government area of Kogi State, where Audu died in his country home was an unusual place as people flooded the community from all walks of life. Associates of the late political icon  were among the mammoth crowd that witnessed the burial. Among others present were his former colleagues including Senator Rabiu Kwankwanso, former governor Lucky Igbinedion and Senator Saminu Turaki.

The state government delegation to the burial was led by the Deputy Governor of the state, Arc. Abayomi Awoniyi. Senator Dino Melaye, a strong associate of the late politician and Rep. James Faleke, his running mate in the inconclusive election, were very visible at the burial yesterday.

The burial ceremony commenced about 1.50 p.m. yesterday after the prophets failed to revive the dead Audu. The burial was supervised by Islamic religious leaders from all over Igala land.

Following the burial, Faleke declined to speak with Vanguard, saying he was too devastated to speak on his late boss. Senator Melaye, however, described late Audu as an irreplaceable hero who was a dogged fighter and a lover of his people. He said the progressive community would miss its icon.

At about 2:00 pm, the body of Prince Abubakar Audu was finally laid to mother earth amid uncontrollable wailing by people who have come to mourn with Audu’s family. Earlier in the day, the governor of Kogi State declared a three-day public holiday and seven-day mourning period to honour “the man who laid the foundation for the development of Kogi State”.

Prince Abubakar Audu was on the verge of emerging as the next democratically elected governor of Kogi State as his party, having polled 240,827 votes to top the election with Wada, the incumbent governor scoring 199, 514 votes.

The election was, however, declared inconclusive upon the fact that the number of cancelled votes was more than the difference in the votes between the late Audu and Wada.

Audu still APC candidate, we are ignorant of his death - INEC

Kogi State Election: Lawyers divide over Audu"s death

LAGOS—DIVISION was the lot of lawyers, yesterday, over how the country could proceed with the Kogi State governorship election following the death of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu.

Abubakar Audu

With results from the 21 local councils of the state, Audu with 240,867 votes was on his way to a historic third electoral victory after six attempts as his closest challenger, Governor Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 199,514 votes.

However, instead of being declared as the winner of the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced yesterday afternoon that the election was inconclusive, saying that there would be re-run polls in 59 polling units which have about 49,000 registered voters.

Audu died shortly after the announcement raising questions on how the exercise could be concluded because the the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act are silent on what should be done if a candidate dies while the election is on-going.

There should be fresh election – Braithwaite

Speaking on the issue yesterday, Second Republic politician and legal icon, Dr Tunji Braithwaite said the demise of Prince Audu calls for a fresh governorship election in Kogi.

His words: First, it is sad that Audu died. Our thoughts are with his family at this time. However, coming to mankind, life and activities must go on. If the front runner in an election drops dead, the next person with higher votes cannot automatically be declared winner.

‘’The deceased according, to INEC scored higher votes. Audu’s death calls for another election. The incumbent, Capt Idris Wada will continue as governor until another election. There must be another election.’’

Just another election  – Adegbuyi

Dr Braithwaite’s views were shared by Barr Bisi Adegbuyi, a stalwart of the Afenifere Renewal group, ARG.

‘’There is nothing other holding another election. APC should be allowed to present another candidate. Since the election has not been concluded, the deputy governorship candidate cannot take his place, he is not the candidate,’’ he said.

The re-run polls should be concluded  – Basorun

However, Chief Olorunfunmi Basorun, Second Republic politician and Secretary to the Lagos State Government under Governor Lateef Kayode Jakande, said the re-run polls in 59 polling units should be concluded and the winner declared by INEC.

Reason: ‘’It is the party that matters. The party sponsored the candidates. In 1999, when Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was nominated as Vice presidential candidate, although the Adamawa governorship election had been concluded, the deputy governorship-elect, Boni Haruna, stepped in. So, the INEC should conduct the election in the remaining polling units and declare the winner.’’

Audu’s running mate should step in – Quakers

In his reaction, Mr Norris Quakers, SAN, said since the Nigerian Constitution did not envisage what has happened, it makes it tricky and dicey.

He however said, “In my thinking, if you read sections 36, 39 and 40 of the Electoral Act as amended, I think the Independent Electoral Commission will have to conduct elections in those areas where they are inconclusive. What the party that was affected needs to do is to allow the deputy governorship candidate run as its governorship candidate while a new deputy governorship candidate is picked”.

Ticket belongs to APC – Ngige

On his part, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, said:  ‘’There is no lacuna. In Adamawa, after Obasanjo picked Atiku, who had already won the governorship election in the state to be his running mate, the opposition led by Bala Takaya kicked against the decision to pick Haruna as a replacement for Audu. The opposition went to the Federal High Court to stop it and the matter dragged to the Supreme Court that it was right for Haruna, who was Abubakar’s running mate to become the governor. The opposition demanded for fresh election but that was rejected by the Supreme Court. ‘’However, this is a peculiar situation. What is happening now is a combination of a lot of issues. In Rotimi Amaechi’s case the court ruled that it was the party that owned the ticket. It also said that the party owned the votes. So, such a scenario may play up this time again. The situation we have at hand is called a reccondite situation in law. And it will require a lot of interpretations. I foresee a very stormy and testing period for INEC. The judiciary will also be put on trial.

‘’In Amaechi’s case, he had no running mate but since the court had ruled that the party owned the ticket, Ikuru, who was Omehia’s deputy, became his deputy. In my opinion, I will say that the APC owns the ticket. INEC should go ahead with the elections and conclude it because the votes belong the the APC.’’

A source at the INEC headquarters in Abuja said yesterday: “Ordinarily, the commission would normally cancel the polls and fix another date for the election, but since an election has been conducted, INEC can give seven days to the party to announce another candidate before the conduct of the supplementary polls.”

Kogi State Election: Lawyers divide over Audu"s death

APC candidate, Audu others shun election debate

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Abubakar Audu; his Labour Party counterpart, Mr. Phillip Salawu, and the Progressive Peoples Alliance candidate, Mr. Enesi Ozigi, were absent at the Third Kogi Gubernatorial Debate on Tuesday night.

No reasons were given for their absence.

APC data Centre

Only the Kogi State Governor, Capt. Idris Wada, who is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, participated at the debate.

The debate, which held at the Goshen Hotel, Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, was organised by the Kogi Coalition of Business and Professional Associations with support from the Nigeria Election Debate Group; Centre for International Private Enterprise, Washington DC; International Republican Institute; and Kogi Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture.

The coordinator of the debate, Dr. John Alabi, said though there were 22 political parties and candidates for the election, only four of them were assessed by the group to have merited all the criteria for the debate.

He stated that the qualified parties had structures in the state capital and in the three senatorial districts of the state.

Wada, while fielding questions from the election debate panel, said his administration had ensured peace and security in the state and unified stakeholders for the advancement of Kogi.

He added that his government had also addressed violent crimes such as armed robbery and kidnapping, which he said were rampant in the state.

APC candidate, Audu others shun election debate

Kogi: My 4yrs cannot be matched with PDP 12 years - Audu

Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC Prince Abubakar Audu has promised the people of Yagba West Local Government Area that he would end the alleged diversion of revenue meant for grassroots development.

PDP crisis

He has also pledged to put an end to the alleged payment of only 25 percent of salaries to local government workers if elected. He accused the state government of diverting the revenue of the Local Government Councils into private pockets, Audu at a rally in Yagba West assured that an APC government will ensure that workers are promptly paid.

Audu said: “The PDP government has failed Kogi people. No good roads, no water, no healthcare, no salaries, yet, they are clamouring for re-election. Will you re-elect a failure? Will you re-elect the government that is stealing your salaries? Will you re-elect the government that has failed in giving you social amenities? Join hands with the APC to bring back the glory of our dear state.

“During my time as governor of the state, all of you saw what we did. What I did in four years could not be matched by the twelve years of PDP. They have destroyed all the legacies I created. They are only interested in embezzling the resources of the state. Vote them out on  November 21  so that we can reinvent our state and bring development to our people”.

Also speaking at the rally, Audu’s running mate, Mr. James Faleke said Audu is key to the development of Kogi.

The rally was graced by party chieftains, state and federal legislators as well as party supporters.

Kogi: My 4yrs cannot be matched with PDP 12 years - Audu