Kogi Election: APC snubs Faleke, picks Yahaya Bello as guber candidate

The All Progressives Congress has adopted Yahaya Bello as replacement for Abubakar Audu, its Kogi governorship candidate who died as the election was declared inconclusive.

Mr. Bello came a distant second to late Mr. Audu in the APC’s primary held August 13.

Mr. Audu died November 22, just as he was declared winner in majority of local government areas, ahead of incumbent Governor Idris Wada.

Votes from some areas were however cancelled, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared the election inconclusive on grounds that the margin of win between Mr. Audu and the Mr. Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party, was less than number registered voters in the 91 polling units where election was cancelled.

The commission also directed the APC to replace its late candidate for a supplementary election slated for December 5.

The deputy director of information of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Nick Dazang, said on Monday that the APC sent the name of Mr. Bello as replacement for Mr. Audu in the supplementary election.

“The party has sent the name of its replacement candidate, the second runner-up in their primaries, that is Yahaya Bello, to the commission,” Mr. Dazang said.

James Faleke, who was the running mate to Mr. Audu, stormed out of Monday’s meeting of APC leaders at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, in protest of the decision.

He vowed to challenge the party’s decision in court.

He argued that INEC erred in declaring the election inconclusive as the number of accredited voters who have permanent voter’s cards in the 91 polling units is 25,000 – less than the margin of win which is 41,000 votes.

He asked that he be declared governor-elect in two letters to INEC and APC.