L-R: James Faleke and Late Prince Abubakar Audu
What can be regarded as an internal crisis has broken out in the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following permutations of who will likely be nominated as the party’s candidate in the Kogi state supplementary polls slated for December 5.
This follows a report on The Sun that a battle is currently on-going in the APC over who replaces late Prince Abubakar Audu, who died on Sunday, November 22, shortly after the election was declared inconclusive.
It was gathered that there was drama at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja as rival groups, representing Audu’s son, Mohammed and Audu’s deputy, James Abiodun Faleke clashed today, November 27.
The rival groups stormed the secretariat almost at the same time to protest on behalf of their candidate, causing heavy traffic gridlock in the area.
The Sun reports that there were chants of war songs as the groups displayed placards with different inscriptions like ‘Oyegun fear God, ‘No political cheating, ‘INEC please declare Faleke winner’, in support of their candidates.
While the pro Faleke group, who are mainly from Kogi West Senatorial district urged the APC leadership to upgrade Faleke who was a deputy to the late Audu to take over the party’s governorship ticket, the pro-Mohammed Audu group, demanded that late Audu’s son should take over from where his late father stopped.
Hon Clarence Olufemi, leader of the pro Faleke group said: “He (Faleke) fought along with late Audu to actualize victory for the APC during the November 21 governorship election INEC declared inconclusive.
“It was a common knowledge that about 95% of the process of the election has been completed, and APC has substantially complied with the electoral law before the election was declared inconclusive.
“Since it was obvious that the APC governorship mandate was jointly held by the late Audu and Faleke, who is alive, the latter should be given the party’s ticket to continue to actualize its mandate in Kogi state.
“In the unfortunate circumstances the party finds itself, the closest, safest and cleanest of solving this is to avoid depriving the owners of the mandate by allowing Faleke, the running mate, to inherit the governorship mandate of the APC. Our position is on the need to ensure equity, fairness and justice.
“We are drawing the attention of the NWC to the need to avoid the mistake of compensating those who worked against the party, who will want to take advantage of the new primary been organized by the party to reap where they did not sow,” he said
In their own submission, leader of the pro-Mohammed Audu group, Solomon Ogbadu, said: “We are Kogi Youths Movement, our mission here today is all about Mohammed Audu. We want to appeal to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to allow Mohammed to take over ticket of the APC from where his late father stopped.
“He is the only person that Kogi people need now. We have faced a lot of challenges. With what we are experiencing right now in Kogi state, we need a credible and capable hand to take over in Kogi state. Having fought so much for the people of Kogi state before his death, we want the son of late Prince Audu, Mohammed to replace his father at the December 5, supplementary election.
“We need to compensate and be with his son during this critical time. Without Mohammed, Kogi can never move forward. With Mohammed, we know that Kogi will return to good hands just as it would have been if his father were to be alive to complete his good job in the state.
“We are not in dispute with the APC over its decision to conduct fresh primaries to replace our late leader, but we are saying that it is his son, Mohammed that should be supported to replace his late father because he has the qualities of his late father to move Kogi out of its present situation,” they insisted.
However, receiving the rival groups, the director of administration at the APC Abdulahi Gashua promised to convey their complaints and requests to the leadership of the party.
Faleke recently expressed sadness over the passage of the Abubakar Audu in a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but told the electoral commission to declare him governor-elect.
Abubakar Audu, who died around on Sunday, November 22, was buried on Monday according to Muslim rites.
Late APC governorship candidate was leading his contender Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party by 41,353 votes. INEC declared the poll inconclusive and scheduled supplementary election in 91 polling units for December 5.
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