Rep. James Faleke, running mate to the late Abubakar Audu, who participated in the Nov 21 governorship election in Kogi, has rejected the party’s decision to present Yahaya Bello for the Dec 5 supplementary election. INEC declared the Nov 21 election as inconclusive following the cancellation of voting in 91 polling units across the state.
However, Audu died on Nov 22 as the result of the election was announced and the electoral body asked APC to nominate another candidate to replace Audu in the supplementary election fixed for Dec 5. Yahaya Bello was the runner-up in the party’s primary where late Audu emerged as the candidate of the All Peoples Congress 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 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.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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FROM BARRISTER ADESOPE SO: With due respect to all my Okun friends, I wish to ask few questions about James Faleke :
ReplyDelete(1) Is Faleke from Kogi state or Lagos state?
(2) Did he vote in 2015 general election in Lagos or Kogi?
If Kogi why is he currently representing Lagos in National Assembly? & if he voted as lagosian and he is representatives of lagosians how can he claim Kogi same time, because he is still currently in National Assembly?
(3) Is it possible to use one PVC to vote in two state for governorship elections in same year?
(4) Can someone claim two states of origins at the same time?
(5) Is Faleke qualify to be nominated as deputy in Kogi in first place?
(6) What happens to other Okuns that have been in APC in Kogi state or does it mean none Okun in Kogi that is Qualify?
(7) And Finally did Faleke came to Kogi to contest governor or he was picked to deputise Audu?
Faleke should show us the PVC he used both in Lagos and Kogi before he can drag to be Governor in Kogi state.