Under very tensed atmosphere characterized by wild protest and physical combat, the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday finally settled for Alhaji Yahaya Bello (Fair plus)) as its new candidate for next Saturday’s supplementary governorship election in Kogi State.
Bello was confirmed the choice of the party for the late Abubakar Audu’s replacement after leaders of the party rose from a meeting that lasted for about two hours at the APC national secretariat.
This is just as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed yesterday that it has received the nomination of Bello as APC’s replacement for Audu ahead of the supplementary governorship election.
Also in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, running mate to the late governorship candidate, Mr James Faleke yesterday singlehandedly picked one of the late Audu’s son, Mohammed, as his running mate for the supplementary governorship poll in the state.
Bello’s confirmation was on Monday made amidst violent clash and physical confrontation by Bello’s supporters and those of Faleke , just as the party’s top brass were set to meet at the APC national secretariat in Abuja.
The clash started when one major contender in the race for the office of governor in Kogi State, Yahaya Bello (Fair plus) arrived at the national secretariat of the APC in company of many supporters chanting “Sai Yahaya Bello”.
James Faleke, the running mate of late Prince Abubakar Audu, also arrived minutes after with his own set of supporters and the clash ensued resulting in several cars being vandalised including that of the AIT correspondent, Anayoyo Ogiagboviogie.
It took the combined efforts of anti-riot policemen and other security personnel at the scene, after reinforcement was called, to push the supporters who were now in their hundreds, away from the main gate, even as dignitaries, among who were Sen. Dino Melaye, Sen. Ohiare Muhammed, Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i amongst others were arriving for a meeting between the committee members who oversaw the Kogi election and some NWC members.
Meanwhile, the roads leading to the national headquarters were as early as 9am taken over by security agencies comprising the Nigeria Police Force, men of the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security outfits in anticipation of any untoward political activity and probably to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
This was after news had broken during the weekend that Yahaya Bello had been picked as the party’s likely flag bearer in the inconclusive Kogi governorship elections, a position the party was yet to confirm or deny.
Earlier in the day, news had filtered in that James Faleke, the running mate of Prince Abubakar Audu, had announced his decision to pick the late Audu’s son, Mohammed as his running mate, possibly fuelling the reaction of the supporters of Faleke and Yahaya Bello.
I’ ll Go To Court Over Bello’s Choice — Faleke
But Faleke has faulted the choice of Bello as the replacement for the late Audu.
Addressing the press after almost two hours of closed-door meeting, the running mate to Prince Abubakar Audu, Faleke, said that rather than holding a meeting with them, the party leadership just told them their decision which was unacceptable to him.
He said, “Instead of the party to have a meeting with us, we discovered that the meeting was a mere briefing as they had already decided on Yahaya Bello. I distance myself from a Yahaya Bello-Faleke ticket”.
On what will be his next line of action, the visibly angry Faleke said, “We will challenge the decision in court. I, as the governor-elect cannot become a deputy. I have already submitted a letter to INEC distancing myself from that arrangement”.
INEC Confirms Yahaya Bello As APC Candidate
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday confirmed that it has received the nomination of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as the APC’s replacement for the late Abubakar Audu ahead of the supplementary governorship election in Kogi State.
The deputy director, Publicity at INEC, Mr Nick Dazang, who confirmed this, said “They have sent the name of their replacement candidate, the second runner-up in their primaries; that is Yahaya Bello, to the commission”.
He reiterated that INEC is prepared and determined to conduct Kogi State Supplementary and Bayelsa governorship elections billed for this Saturday.
“The commission is committed to conducting the two elections, that is why in respect of Kogi, in spite of what happened, we came out with a public notice which invited the APC to submit its replacement candidate for the election”, he said.
He added that the commission will hold a stakeholders’ forum today in Bayelsa State to underscore their readiness for the polls, adding that the distribution of non-sensitive materials for the Bayelsa poll has been concluded.
Dazang said, “After the stakeholders’ forum, the commission will immediately on Wednesday commence the distribution of sensitive materials in the state. We are inviting the representatives of political parties, their agents, observers, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the media among others, to witness the distribution of sensitive materials”.
The deputy director added that national commissioners and resident electoral commissioners from neighbouring states will be drafted to monitor the Bayelsa State gubernatorial election.
Faleke Vows To Defend Joint Mandate, Picks Audu’s Son As Running Mate
The Kogi Governorship election crisis has assumed a new dimension as the running mate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu, the APC Kogi governorship candidate, Mr James Abiodun Faleke, yesterday vowed not to allow anybody to steal the mandate jointly given to the late Audu and himself on November 21 by the Kogi electorate.
Faleke who addressed a crowd of APC supporters at the residence of the late Prince Audu in Lokoja, said he was on the ‘same page’ with the late Prince Abubakar Audu’s political family in calling on the national leadership of the party to respect the Audu/Faleke mandate.
He said, “All shades of opinion have been expressed by Nigerians who have offered me various baits but I wish to make it abundantly clear that this struggle is not only for me.
“As a matter of fact, it is beyond me and it has become a moral burden on my shoulders to defend on behalf of the political family of the late Prince Abubakar Audu, the interest, views and vision of our late leader, Prince Abubakar Audu. Mohammed Audu, the first son of Prince Abubakar Audu and myself are on the same page on this matter and are both resolved to do right by the law”.
Faleke noted that it would be unfair for the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress to settle for someone who never worked for the success of the party but rather engaged in anti-party activities.
“Did Alhaji Yahaya Bello participate fully in all the stages of the election? The answer is capital NO. While his participation in the primaries is not in doubt, he did not participate in campaigns, meetings, neither did he mobilise voters to vote for our party.
“Instead, we have it on INEC records that he lost not only his polling unit, but also his ward. This presupposes that he worked against our party at the elections. For emphasis, the result from his polling unit is APC-88, PDP-119; his ward’s result is APC-1,146 to PDP-2,058”, Faleke said.
He urged the Kogi electorate and the teeming supporters of the late Prince Abubakar Audu to remain peaceful and law abiding, assuring that “no matter how long it takes, your mandate will be defended, sustained and maintained”.
Earlier, the state coordinator, Prince Abubakar Audu/James Faleke Campaign Organisation, Mr Humphrey Abba, said democracy is all about the people and frowned at any move by the APC national working committee to impose a candidate on the people.
“The people of Kogi have the right to choose who they want. Abuja cannot impose a candidate on us. APC must give effect to the decision of our people. APC national working committee must give effect to the anti-corruption stance of President Buhari”, he said.
He said the APC should not toe the path of impunity and corruption which brought the PDP monumental losses in the last general election.
On his part, a former governorship aspirant, Alhaji Isah Jibrin Echocho, who lamented the unfolding political development in the state, said Audu died while fighting for the liberation of the state and that they would ensure that it is actualised.
He said the late Audu’s son, Mohammed, and his running mate, James Faleke, are ‘well groomed’ to run the affairs of the state.
No comments:
Post a Comment