Faleke, going, going…Kogi lawmakers confirm Achuba as deputy governor

Unless the judiciary gives a judgement in his favour, the ambition of Hon. James Faleke to govern Kogi State won’t be realised until 2020.
On Tuesday, the Kogi State House of Assembly confirmed Simon Achuba as the deputy governor.
Achuba’s name was submitted to the lawmakers on Monday by Governor Yahaya Bello who was sworn in on January 27 as Idris Wada’s successor.
There is a running battle between Faleke and Bello on the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Faleke was running mate to the late governorship candidate for the November 21 election, Prince Abubakar Audu, who died on November 22 when the result of the election was yet to be announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC later announced that the election was inconclusive, fixing December 5 for a re-run.
The national leadership of APC picked Bello as the candidate and Faleke as his running but the member of the House of Representatives representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, Lagos State declared the decision as an affront.
To him, since Audu was leading in the November 21 election, he (Faleke) should automatically be upgraded to become the candidate and vie for the December 5 election.
Bello won the rescheduled election and was sworn in on January 27 without a deputy, creating a constitutional crisis in the North-Central state.
He submitted Achuba’s name on Monday to the lawmakers as his preferred choice for the vacent seat which was confirmed on Tuesday.
Faleke is already in court challenging the validity of the process leading to Bello’s swearing in.
Speaker of the House of Assembly, Momoh Jimoh-Lawal, confirmed to reporters that Achuba has been confirmed as Bello’s deputy.
He explained that the House’s approval was in response to the governor’s letter, seeking the consideration and approval of Achuba’s nomination.
He declared that Bello’s request and House’s approval complied with the Section 191 (3) (c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which provided for the position of a deputy governor.
Achuba, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) had served two terms in the House of Assembly.