Running mate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu, James Faleke, has rejected the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to present Yahaya Bello for the December 5 supplementary election in Kogi State.
INEC declared the November 21 election as inconclusive, following the cancellation of voting in 91 polling units across the North-Central state.
Audu died on November 22 when the result was being announced.
After his death, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) asked APC to nominate another candidate to replace Audu in the supplementary election fixed for December 5.
Yahaya Bello was the runner-up in the party’s primary where late Audu emerged as the APC candidate for the election.
Faleke said on Monday, while briefing newsmen at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, that the decision was not acceptable as Bello did not participate in any of the campaigns or primary before the election.
He said he was at the party headquarters for a meeting to resolve the issue but was shocked as he was only briefed on the party’s position on the issue.
He said: ”We met for two hours as you have observed and, of course, we discovered at the meeting that what we were invited for was just a mere briefing rather than it being where we could have deliberated and solve the quagmire we find ourselves in.
”We were only briefed about the position of the party. The party told us that they had nominated Alhaji Yahaya Bello and, of course, we made it clear as the political family of Prince Abubakar Audu that it is not acceptable.
”We are not going with it and I personally observed that my name has been submitted to INEC as deputy governorship candidate to pair with Bello.
”I told the National Chairman in clear words that I have submitted a letter this morning distancing myself from that decision that on no ground will I want to be associated with the decision of the party to pair me with Bello because I am already governor-elect.
”The governor-elect cannot yet become another deputy governorship candidate.”
Faleke said he was not consulted on the decision of the party and would not want to take part in the supplementary election.
He said Bello did not take part in any of the campaign processes.
He said he would go to court to challenge the INEC decision should the party insist on Bello.
”We are only contesting election in 91 polling units out 2,548 and we have made it very clear that if they go ahead to conduct the election, it would be challenged in the court of law, it will be null and void.
”Mr Chairman told us directly right away without considering it twice that the party will not go to court and since the party is not going to court, we have taken it upon ourselves as our right to defend ourselves in court and we are challenging the decision.”
Meanwhile, the immediate past Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, has hailed the party’s decision to nominate Bello to replace Audu.
In a statement in Abuja by Michael Jegede, his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Abatemi-Usman, who was second runner-up in the primary poll, praised the party’s decision to respect the original primaries.
The former Kogi Central Senator personally called Bello to congratulate him as soon as his nomination as the new gubernatorial candidate was confirmed.
“I congratulate my brother, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on his emergence as the new governorship candidate of APC in Kogi State following the tragic death of our leader and political icon, Prince Abubakar Audu. I also congratulate the APC for taking the most equitable step by picking Bello who was the first runner-up in the primary election that all adjudged as free and fair. Reverting to the original primaries was also the option suggested by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. The APC has proved that it is a party that strongly believes in fairness, equity and justice,” Abatemi-Usman stated.
The Senator appealed to all members of APC and citizens of the state to accept the decision of the party in good faith, while noting that Kogi is about to witness tremendous change with APC at the helm of affairs.
