Interest Groups in Kogi Battle to Replace Audu

Numerous interest groups in and outside of the All Progressive Congress (APC) are aggressively pushing to replace the late Prince Abubakar Audu who died on Sunday morning.Leading the race for the replacement of Audu is the running mate and member of the House of Representatives in Lagos, James Falake. Supporters of Faleke besieged the national headquarters of the APC on Wednesday to present case for the emergence of their principal as the replacement for Audu.Bamidele Peters, the spokesman of the Kogi Youth Vanguard (Faleke’s group), said: “We think the election should be allowed to be concluded and that there should be no replacement of the candidate until that was done. The party will after the election be able to replace its candidate.“Our own interest under the circumstance is to ensure that the supplementary election is concluded. Even if the party will want to replace its candidate it should be after the election and I feel that if possible the running mate, Abiodun Faleke should be allowed to step in to replace the late governorship candidate.“Section 181 of the Nigerian Constitution should be made to apply under the circumstance to enable the party resolve the crisis of substitution in which APC finds itself now.”Also leading the agitation to replace Prince Audu is Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the runner-up in the APC primary election that produced Audu. He is calling for the privilege to replace Audu as the running mate during the last election.Some interest groups in Kogi State are also calling for the emergence of the son of Prince Audu, Mohammed Audu, as the party’s candidate.Other parties that participated in Saturday’s election are also haggling on the right course of action by INEC on the ongoing constitution logjam in Kogi’s gubernatorial election. PPA’s candidate in the election, Mr. Emmanuel Enesi Ozigi, slammed the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubkar Malami that the APC for planning to conduct another primary election to replace Audu.He said: “Another person who is a face of that party might not have gained this mile the late Prince Abubakar gained. So, if you are bringing somebody in now, I am afraid I do not know what is going to be the outcome of the supplementary elections.”That is why I am saying for us to have level playing ground; we should all go back to the drawing board and have a fresh election.”Calling for a fresh election is the the Democratic People’s Congress, (DPC). According to a statement by the National Chairman of the party, Rev. Olusegun Peters, the party said: “The party rejects the Independent National Electoral Commission’s position to continue the 21st November poll by conducting a supplementary election for 91 polling units on 5th December 2015.“It is inappropriate for INEC to direct APC to choose another candidate to substitute the late Audu and continue the governorship election when the people voted for the candidacy of Audu and not the yet to be selected candidate the electorate did not vote for.”