Kogi Election: Faleke Files Petition At Tribunal

The running-mate to Abubakar Audu, the late candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in November 21 governorship poll in Kogi, James Faleke, has filed a petition at the Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

Mr. Faleke, accompanied by Mohammed Audu, the son of late Audu, and lawyers, submitted the petition to the clerk of the tribunal at about 12.20pm in Lokoja on Monday.

Hundreds of party members and supporters converged on the state High Court premises, venue of the tribunal, to witness the event.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Secretary of the tribunal, Akanji Akinlabi, who received the petition, said the contents were yet to become public.

Mr. Faleke is challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s decision which declared the election inconclusive.

He argues that the election had already been won and lost before the supplementary poll, saying he should be declared winner.

Mr. Faleke told journalists that he was confident justice would be done in the matter, pointing out that he did not join his party, the APC as a respondent in the suit.

Credit: PremiumTimes

PHOTONEWS: Faleke Vows To Go To Court As Yahaya Bello Emerges APC Flag Bearer In Kogi

 

Abiodun Faleke, the running mate to late Prince Abubakar Audu in the November 21 governorship election in Kogi State has vowed to challenge the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to pick Yahaya Bello as the replacement for Audu in court.

Abiodun Faleke vows to go to court

Abiodun Faleke vows to go to court

This followed the deadlock at the meeting of the APC held in Abuja on Monday to resolve the Kogi state crisis.

Faleke, who described the meeting as a “mere briefing”, said he would seek legal redress against the nomination of Yahaya Bello as the party’s governorship candidate.

 

Faleke also distanced himself from the supplementary election scheduled to take place on December 5.

 

“We met for more than two hours, but we discovered that the meeting was a mere briefing,” he said.

 

“The party told us that they have nominated Alhaji Yahaya Bello as the substituted Kogi governorship candidate. But we told them that, that was not acceptable.

 

“I have submitted a letter to the party that I will not be paired with Yahaya Bello because, I am governor-elect.

 

“I will not be part of the election, and because I have pulled out it will be null and void.

 

“We are going to challenge the decision of the party in court. I am not a deputy governor to anybody. They party took the decision and just invited us.”

 

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Audu’s Votes Died With Him, Wada Tells INEC

Governor Idris Wada of Kogi state has categorically told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the votes garnered by late Prince Abubakar Audu of the All Progressives Congress have died with him.

 

Wada, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party said in a statement issued in Lokoja on Sunday by his Wada’s Chief Communications Manager, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, said having had more time to study the INEC’s decision, he was left with no choice but to conclude that INEC embarked on a hatchet job.

 

Wada said in view of the death of the All Progressives Congress’ candidate, Abubakar Audu, he should be declared the winner of the botched election being the only surviving candidate with the majority of lawful votes cast in the election held on November 21.

 

“Whatever votes Audu scored in the election died with him,” he said, noting that INEC simply overreached itself, and wondered why a body established to be the custodian of the rule of law would ignore the fundamentals of the rule of law in arriving at the decision not to issue him a certificate of return.

 

“To us as a party (PDP), the most egregious of the faux pas committed by INEC is asking the APC to lawfully nominate a candidate for the supplementary governorship election without a valid and legally cognizable primary election of the party conducted within the mandatory timeliness specified by the Electoral Act.

 

“It is our considered opinion that, INEC, more than any other body, ought to know that havingregards to the provisions of Section 141 of the Electoral Act, 2010, votes scored by a candidate who died during an election cannot be inherited by or transferred to a person who was not a candidate at the said election and who did not participate in all stages of such election, for the purpose of concluding such election,” he said.

 

 

Credit : PM News

Kogi APC Lawmakers Insist On Audu’s Son, Threaten To Impeach Any Other Candidate

Lawmakers on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Kogi, on Friday threatened to impeach any candidate chosen to replace the late flag bearer, Prince Abubakar Audu.

 

Some of the lawmakers, who were at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, told newsmen that their wish was that Mohammed Audu be given the mandate of his late father.

 

Mr Momoh Rabiu, who spoke on behalf of the lawmakers, said: “Based on our discussion, we have taken a decision and taken our resolution to the national chairman.

 

“We are overwhelmed by the response from them, but we are still waiting for a safe landing so that Kogi will not be doomed.

 

“We told the national chairman that on no account should anybody be smuggled in to occupy that position which we worked for in conjunction with the late Audu, without who there would be no APC in Kogi state today.

 

“We presented to the national leadership, Prince Mohammed Audu to replace his late father.

 

“It is not because he is the first son, but try him, he is very intelligent and equal to the task. With him, we will have the Kogi of our dream.”

 

Rabiu said the decision to replace the late Audu with his son was taken because of the commitment of the late flag-bearer and because the lawmakers do not Kogi to continue to be ruled by the PDP.

 

Insisting that their threat to remove any candidate that emerged from the proposed primary was no threat but a fact, Rabiu appealed to the APC leadership to respect their wish.

 

“We are the legislators and have told the national chairman our position that in any case anybody emerges contrary to what we present to them, we know the best way to remove him.

 

“It is not a threat, but we told them that we have no intention of washing our dirty linen in public.

 

“Removing somebody is just a two minutes job for us as lawmakers in the state. We want the change we worked for and we want Kogi to be part of the moving train.

 

“We are not asking Faleke to stay away from the ticket. We equally worked with him during the campaigns.

 

“What we are saying is that it should be Mohammed Audu/Faleke ticket. The two of them must work together,” he said.

 

The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has however chosen Alhaji Yahaya Bello (Fair Plus) as the party’s new candidate for Kogi State governorship supplementary election slated for next week Saturday.

 

Bello, who came second in the August 29, 2015 party primaries, will replace the late Prince Abubakar Audu on the APC ticket after the demise of the latter on Sunday, November 22, 2015 at the peak of the collation of the election results.

 

While the late Audu polled 1,109 votes to defeat 26 other aspirants who contested with him, Bello polled 702 votes to become Audu’s closest challenger in the keenly contested governorship primary election which was adjudged free and fair.

 

APC Picks Yahaya Bello As Audu’s Replacement

After extensive consultations, the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday submitted the name of Yahaya Bello as the party’s new candidate for Kogi governorship supplementary poll.
Bello replaces Prince Abubakar Audu, who died last weekend after leading the poll with 41,000.
It was also learnt that the APC has retained Hon. James Abiodun Faleke as the party’s deputy governorship candidate.

Mohammed Audu, the son of the late governorship candidate, was dumped by the party because the party felt that fielding him might vitiate the entire governorship poll in the state.

But the people of Kogi West were mounting pressure on Faleke yesterday not to accept the nomination of Bello.

Although they asked Faleke to withdraw from the race, the deputy governorship candidate was yet to make up his mind on the next step at press time.

 

Investigation revealed that APC leaders, with the backing of some forces in the Presidency, opted for Bello because he came second in the party’s primaries behind Audu.

 

It was also gathered that the APC leaders felt there was no way Mohammed Audu could be fielded as a compromise candidate since he was not a candidate in the primaries.

 

A top source in APC said: “Our leaders met and after consultations reached a conclusion on the choice of Yahaya Bello from Kogi Central as the party’s governorship candidate to substitute the late Prince Abubakar Audu.

 

“The leaders arrived at the conclusion because Bello was second to Audu at the validly conducted governorship primaries of the party. Instead of running into crisis with fresh primaries, the party opted to dust up the result of the previous one which was witnessed by INEC.

 

“A letter, signed by the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on the choice of Bello has been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday.”

 

Asked of other factors behind the choice of Bello, the top APC leader said: “Our leaders bought into the idea that Faleke is strange to the politics of the state, having had most of his political career in Lagos. They felt it is better for him to learn the ropes in the state before becoming a governor.

 

“They also argued that the choice of Bello will ensure power shift in the state and since the Ebiras were behind Audu, it won’t be difficult to foster understanding between Kogi East and Kogi Central Senatorial Districts.

 

“Do not forget that Kogi East had already produced the minister from the state.

 

“Another important factor is that some of the 91 polling units where elections were cancelled are in Kogi Central, and it will be easier to mobilize the electorate in the district to get the required votes to defeat the PDP candidate, Governor Idris Wada.

“There was also some conspiracy behind the refusal of the ticket for Faleke. Some presidency forces stamped their feet that he must not be allowed to step into Audu’s shoes because of internal power struggles in APC.

“I won’t give you names but the forced were more powerful than Oyegun and other NWC members.”

On the dumping of Mohammed Audu, the source said: “Our leaders were guided by Section 141 of the Electoral Act. If we choose him, the entire election will be voided.

“The section says: ‘An election tribunal or court shall not under any circumstance declare any person a winner at an election in which such a person has not fully participated in all the stages of such election.

“We love the Audus but we cannot take such a big risk. If Wada and PDP go to court, they will win against Mohammed Audu.”

As press time, there was pressure on Faleke by the people of Kogi West to opt out of the race.

A different source said: “There are many options open to Faleke but the people of Kogi West want him to withdraw from the race. If Yahaya Bello gets the ticket, he might be reduced to a dummy deputy governor.

“Unless Faleke can fight his cause in court and claim his mandate, he will be frustrated as a deputy governor. If he quits, the party will have justification for bringing Mohammed Audu and Kogi West will be politically alienated.”

 

Credit : Sahara Reporters

Kogi Election: APC Group Endorses Abubakar Audu’s Son

The All Progressives Congress (APC) critical stakeholders and delegates from Kogi East Senatorial District have resolved that the late political icon and APC candidate in the November 22 governorship election that was pronounced to be inconclusive, Mr Abubakar Audu, be substituted with his son Mohammed Audu in the event that the party goes for fresh primary.

This was contained in a communique read by Daniel Isah, the Kogi East Zonal Chairman at the party secretariat in Lokoja, Kogi State.

The decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare Kogi State governorship election inconclusive has continued to generate controversies within the party.

Supporters and members of the party have appeared divided on who should replace Abubakar Audu as the party’s governorship candidate.

Getting a candidate to fill the vacant seat was one of the major reasons the delegates from the eastern senatorial district held the closed door meeting which lasted for one hour.

While the closed door meeting was going on, some youths under the auspices of Kogi APC Concerned Youths took to the streets with placards, demanding that the son of the late Abubakar Audu should be the substitute governorship candidate.

They claimed the son has been working closely with his father and understands his plans.

Credit: ChannelsTV

Declare Wada As Winner Of Kogi Election, PDP Tells INEC

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare its candidate, Governor Idris Wada, as the winner of the November 21 governorship election in Kogi State.

The party is also seeking the exclusion of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the supplementary election slated for December 5. The INEC had declared the election inconclusive following the cancellation of the poll in 91 units across 18 local government areas in the state.

The party’s position was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of its national caucus meeting held in Abuja Wednesday night.

The communiqué, signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, insisted that with the death of the APC’s candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu , during the election, the APC has legally “crashed out” of the race.

Credit: Nation

Kogi Election: PDP Rejects Call For APC’s Candidate Substitution

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has kicked against an advice by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Abubakar Malami, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the party can substitute its late candidate in the Kogi State governorship election.

The opposition party also asked Mr Malami to “immediately vacate his office for harrying and misleading the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into arriving at the decision”.

In a statement by the opposition party’s spokesman, Olisa Metuh, the party said it was shocked that “INEC, a supposedly independent electoral umpire, could allow itself to succumb to the antics of the APC by following the unlawful directive of an obviously partisan AGF to substitute a candidate in the middle of the ballot process”.

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Iriase Faults INEC’s Declaration Of Kogi Election Inconclusive

Deputy Whip, House of Representatives, Pally Iriase, on Tuesday, said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should not have declared Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi inconclusive.
Iriase, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said that section 181 of the 1999 Constitution should prevail.
He said that he had been unable to come to terms that the exercise was inconclusive because ‘’looking at everything considered, the election was conclusive’’.
“As far as I am concerned, it is only section 181 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that should prevail; anything other than that is not acceptable,’’ he said.
He said that irrespective of what was quoted by the returning officer of the election, it was clear that they needed to refer to the guiding laws.
“The Kogi election is conclusive because the returning officer decided to have recourse to the registered voters rather than those eligible to vote, even in the forthcoming rerun or supplementary election.
“Only 25,000 of the so-call registered 49,000 have their PVCs and you and I know that without PVC you cannot vote.
“So, the spirit is to ensure that those who have not been able to vote should be given the opportunity to vote if they are going to change the course of the results already obtained,’’ the lawmaker said.

 
He said: ‘’APC candidate has won by a margin of 41,000 votes and in the forthcoming supplementary election, not more than 25,000 voters can vote.
“INEC cannot issue new PVCs when the electoral process has already begun, it is not usually done.
“Even if we have recourse to the proportionate figures of those who voted during this election, you will find about 1.5 million registered voters and we barely had 500,000 accredited, which amount to one-third’’.

 
Iriase said that if such trend of voter turnout among those with voter card continued, there was likely not to be up to 20,000 voters turning out during the supplementary election.
“So why would INEC have recourse to a register which will not make for that decision during the supplementary election.
” I would rather that APC should go to court to claim their victory; they have won fair and square and anything to the contrary is not acceptable.
“If that position which is the most logical is accepted, then section 181 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) will apply,’’ he argued.
According to the lawmaker, anything to the contrary is calling for constitutional crisis and total dissent by the people because they have freely given their mandate to the APC.
“All these talks about inconclusiveness are not acceptable to me as a person; so, the question does not arise as to what to do; what to do next is clearly spelt out in the Constitution,’’ he said.
But in his reaction, Rep. Oghene Egoh (Lago-PDP) insisted that INEC did the right thing by declaring the election inconclusive.
He explained that the decision was in line with the electoral laws which some polling units violated.
Egoh advised APC to provide another candidate for the rerun.
“We do not know what INEC’s decision would be; they are at the moment seeking legal advice.
“We hope that the next election will produce another candidate that Kogi people will like as PDP is strongly in the race and we believe we will win,’’ he said.

 

(NAN)

Police Boss Deploys DIG, Others For Kogi Election

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase, has deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Department of Operations at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, DIG Sotonye Leroy Wakama, to supervise security arrangements in Kogi State.

This is part of measures aimed at ensuring a proper coordination of security operations to guarantee a hitch-free election and credible electioneering process in the forthcoming Kogi State governorship election.

The IGP made the development known on Thursday in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, ACP Olabisi Kolawole.

According the Police boss, DIG Wakama “will be assisted by three Commissioners of Police and three Assistant Commissioners of Police during the election”.

“For the sake of the election, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu, has been redeployed to Force Headquarters, Abuja, pending the conclusion of the election.

“The three CPs deployed to Kogi State will be specifically saddled with the responsibility of supervising security arrangements in the three Senatorial Districts of the State. They are: CP Isaac Eke, CP Peter Ogunyanwo and CP Sam Okaula,” Arase said.

Credit: ChannelsTv

Kogi APC Rally: Wada Mocks Audu Over Buhari’s Absence

Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State has applauded the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to stay away from the campaign of All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in the state, Prince Abubakar Audu, saying the move has reinforced the belief of Kogi electorate about the seriousness of the current administration’s commitment to fight corruption.
Wada in a statement issued by his Chief Communications Manager, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, said Buhari’s refusal to identify with a tainted politician like Prince Abubakar will go a long way to send the right message to Nigerian youths that the current administration would not want to have anything to do with those who steal or mismanage public funds.

 

”It is gratifying that President Muhammadu Buhari heeded our advice and refused to identify with the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Saturday’s governorship election. His decision to stay away from campaigning for a candidate that is being tried for corruption by the EFCC has reinforced the belief of the electorate in Kogi that the current administration is beginning to show commitment to fight corruption.

 

“Any attempt by Buhari to show public support for Prince Abubakar would not only be a disservice to Nigeria, but will send a clear signal that the wobbly anti-corruption war of the current administration is finally dead”, Shaibu said.

 

According to him, any presidential support for a treasury looter like Prince Abubakar Audu will ridicule Nigeria in the eyes of the world.

 

Shaibu added that for the avoidance of doubt, Prince Abubakar Audu is facing trial for stealing money to the tune of N11bn meant for the development of Kogi State and not for his political belief even though some clowns are now saying he is the best thing that has happened to Kogi State.

 

He advised the electorate in the state to send a clear message to the All Progressives Congress (APC) – through their votes on Saturday – that today’s Nigeria will not have a place for a party that celebrates grand larceny, corruption, greed and wastage of public funds.

 

Credit : PM News

Election: Kogi Govt. Orders Closure Of Schools

Kogi Government has ordered the closure of all public and private schools in the state from Tuesday, Nov. 18 to Monday, Nov. 23.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education, Alhaji Adamu Sheidu, confirmed the closure on Wednesday in Lokoja.

He said that the order affects only all primary and secondary schools in the state.

He said that the step became necessary as many of the schools will serve as temporary camps for security agents being deployed to the state for the Nov. 21 governorship election.

Sheidu said that the closure order which came into effect on Tuesday will last till Monday, Nov. 23.

The PRO advised parents and guardians to take note of the development and keep watch on the movement of their children during the period of the election.

He also warned proprietors of private secondary and primary schools in the state against violating the order.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Sunday Arase, had on Tuesday in Lokoja announced that 12, 000 policemen will be deployed for the election.

According to him, a unit of mobile policemen will be sent to each of the 21 local government councils in the state.

He explained further that a Deputy-Inspector General of Police, one Assistant Inspector-General of Police and no fewer than three Police Commissioners will be on the ground to coordinate the operation.

 

(NAN)

INEC To Distribute PVCs In Kogi, Bayelsa From Nov. 6

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would commence the distribution of Permanent Voter Card (PVC) to eligible voters in Kogi and Bayelsa on Friday.

Deputy Director of Publicity in the commission, Mr Nick Dazang, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.

Dazang said that the exercise would commence Kogi on Friday and end on November 11, and run from November 13 to November 19 in Bayelsa.

He said that the distribution would take place at ward level and would be for only registered voters, running from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily.

“The distribution of PVCs is for voters whose biometric was captured during the just-concluded Continues Voter Registration (CVR) by INEC in the two states.

“It is also opened to those who registered before but are yet to collect their PVCs,” Dazang said.

He therefore urged registered voters in both states, who were yet to collect their PVCs, to use the opportunity to do so before the election date.

He stressed that nobody would be allowed to vote without PVCs.

“We also call on our stakeholders, including the political parties, media and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to sensitise people to the exercise in the two states.

“There is the need for eligible voters to collect their cards as well as participate fully in the elections.

“On the part of INEC, we are putting in place all the machinery to educate the people on the collection date, and every other thing expected of them before, during and after the election,” Dazang said.

He restated that collection of PVC was free, warning that it was criminal for anybody to ask for money before given out PVC.

“Members of the public should take note of any of our staff that asks for money and report such to the commission for appropriate punishment,” he advised.

Dazang assured that the commission would conduct free and credible election in both states as well as provide a level playing ground to all political parties participating in the elections.