APC DECLARES SECOND RUNNER UP IN PRIMARY AS NEW GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE IN KOGI ELECTION

ALHAJI YAHAYA BELLO

The All Progressives Congress (APC), in Kogi state named Yahaya Bello on Saturday as the person to replace the late Prince Abubakar Audu as the governorship candidate of the party in the state. This was announced by the party’s national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. Yahaya came second in the primaries that produced Audu.

The party also agreed that James Faleke who was running mate of late Audu will remain as deputy to Bello.

It would be recalled that Audu, going by the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the 21 local councils in the state, had won in 16 and was already ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and incumbent, Governor Idris Wada. Audu, however, died before the election could be concluded. INEC too went ahead to declare the election inconclusive.

The Returning Officer for INEC in the Kogi state governorship election, Prof. Emmanuel Kucha (Vice-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi) had declared that Audu got 240,867 votes while Idris Wada of the PDP had 199,514 votes. Prof. Kucha said the difference of the votes between Messrs Audu and Wada was 41,353 whereas the total number of registered voters in 91 polling units, in the 18 local government areas where election was cancelled was 49,953.

He therefore declared the election inconclusive and said by INEC guideline, no return could be made for the election until supplementary election was held in areas where election had been cancelled. The date announced for the supplementary election is Saturday, December 5^TH.

However, Dr Tom Ohikere, head of media, Abubakar Audu/James Faleke Campaign Organization has stated that the decision of the party to replace the late Audu with Bello, who came second in the primary, is illegal and a moral burden on the party’s national chairman and other members of the national working committee.

Meanwhile some youths in protest against the declaration of Bello blocked the Ayangba - Abuja Highway holding that he left the APC for the PDP after losing the primary to Audu and supported Governor Wada in the governorship election.