Kogi Poll Crises Deepen As Faleke Claims Victory

*Declare Wada winner, says PDP

*Senatorial District tips Audu’s son

All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders were battling yesterday to settle the crises –  of constitution, choices and sentiments – triggered by the death of its Kogi State governorship candidate Prince Abubakar Audu.

Amid the struggle to douse the tension by consulting its stakeholders, the party was flooded with petitions on the dispute.

Audu’s running mate Abiodun Faleke said the baton should constitutionally and logically be his as the score announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was for the Audu/Faleke ticket. A new primary, said Faleke, is out of place.

The Nation report continues:

APC was leading by 41,000 votes. INEC declared the election inconclusive and ordered a supplementary election in 91 polling units. Of the 49,000 registered would-be voters in these units, only 25,000 have voter cards. This, lawyers say makes the supplementary poll unnecessary.

But, to some party leaders in Kogi East Senatorial District, the home of the late Audu, his son Muhammed should step into his father’s shoes.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it should get the prize because, in its view, with Audu’s death, APC had lost out. Its candidate and incumbent Governor Idris Wada scored 199,514 votes.

APC may take a decision today (Friday) after the consultations.

National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) were consulting some leaders of the party.

Odigie-Oyegun was scheduled to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari, but it was unclear if he did before the President travelled out to Malta for the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government Summit.

A top party leader, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “The National Chairman and some members of the NWC have been consulting party leaders across board on the way forward.

“The consultations were really tasking but we hope that by Friday we should arrive at a conclusion. We may make our decision known on Friday.

“What is delaying our final decision is the deluge of petitions sent to the National Secretariat by various groups, stakeholders and legal experts.

“You can see that our leaders would have to sieve political and legal advice and weigh options.”

The NWC meeting, which was scheduled to hold at the party secretariat yesterday, did not hold.

National Secretary Mai Mala Buni, who was billed to represent the chairman at the APC Youth Summit, could not attend the event. He was said to have been summoned to the Villa for a meeting.

For most part of the day, the APC secretariat was empty. No official of the party was around. Sources said they were holding meetings at an unnamed venue.

Odigie-Oyegun, who came into the secretariat at about 4.30pm, spent less than 30 minutes in the office after meeting with the national secretary.

Odigie-Oyegun simply told reporters: “I don’t want to say anything now until the process is concluded.”

On the call by the PDP to be declared winner of the election, Odigie-Oyegun said the party would not take up issues with the PDP, until it concludes its consultations.