APC's Choice Of Bello Splits Audu’s Supporters

The emergence of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the December 5 supplementary election in Kogi state is causing division among supporters of the late Prince Abubakar Audu.

Audu, the late former candidate of the party died on Sunday, November 22, after the election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

James Faleke, his running mate in the inconclusive election is not happy with the party’s choice of Bello and has taken the matter to court. He filed a suit at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, demanding that INEC declare him as governor-elect.

According to Leadership report, key stakeholders in Audu/Faleke campaign council have dumped Faleke and have approached Yahaya Bello pledging their support to him.

Report has it that one influential politician from Kogi West and strong supporter of late Audu, has begun moves to win more supporters for Bello.

Some supporters of Audu in the area have accused Faleke of abandoning them for Accord Party members who worked against Audu in the primary.

A source who pleaded anonymity said the only solution to the present political crisis in the state, is to revisit the last primary conducted in the state that was adjudged free and fair by all.

Speaking on the issue, Itodo Enejo Usman, an aide to Bello said: “My boss, Alh Yahaya Bello felt very sad over the death of Prince Abubakar Audu who he described as the father of Kogi politics. Audu’s death has created a vacuum in the state that will be difficult to fill for now, it was a great loss to the entire state and the country in general.”

According to him, there will be no discrimination in Bello’s appointments.

Audu was leading the polls by about 41,000 votes before the November 21 election was declared inconclusive by the electoral body, just hours before his mysterious death. This was trailed a lot of controversial reactions as lawyers argued that it had never happened in the history of the country’s democracy for a candidate to die after leading an inconclusive election.

Faleke, Audu’s running mate had asked to be named the governor-elect, but the APC chose to Bello to replace Audu in the state’s supplementary election.

Faleke has however, rejected the deputy governorship slot, saying he could not accept the offer to be Bello’s running mate because he was already governor-elect.