The All Progressives Congress, APC, was last night tethering towards a major crisis over the strong positions of major stakeholders on resolving the problems arising from the death of its candidate in the Kogi State governorship election, Prince Abubakar Audu.
The crisis in the party, it was learnt, was also quietly seeping into the presidency with senior presidency officials taking different positions on the issue.
However, Faleke, who had earlier through his lawyer, Wole Olanikpekun written the party to lay his claim to the mandate of the late Audu, at the weekend, further stoked tempers with his formal decision to reject his nomination as Bello’s running mate.At the centre of the crisis, as exclusively reported by Vanguard last Friday, was the decision of the party acting in concert with associates of President Muhammadu Buhari to present Alhaji Yahaya Bello who came second in the APC governorship primaries as the new candidate of the party. The party had also pencilled James Faleke, who was Audu’s running mate in the penultimate weekend election, as also running mate to Bello.
In a letter to the party’s national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Faleke flatly rejected his nomination as running mate to Bello, who he accused of betraying the party in its time of need.
Against the background of the death of Audu, party officials acting in concert with associates of President Buhari, it was learnt, had pencilled down Bello as the new candidate upon his second place finishing in the party primaries with Faleke as running mate. Under the plans, Mohammed Audu, son of the late candidate was also being proposed as Secretary to the State Government to assuage the camp of the late Audu.
However, the plans were seriously being undermined, last night, with reports that Faleke was set to go to court with three Senior Advocates of Nigeria, including one from Kogi State enlisted to push his case at a Federal High Court today.
The party, last night was nonetheless, pushing ahead with Bello. Bello, who according to sources, had been told by party officials not to leave Abuja was, last night, invited to present himself at the party secretariat this morning for his unveiling as the new APC candidate in Kogi State.
Reflective of his new status, security around Bello has been raised with military, police and Department of State Service operatives giving him all round security.
Despite the antagonisms towards him, Bello has been reaching out by telephone to leading stakeholders. Among those he is believed to have reached were Faleke and Chief Clarence Olafemi, who is one of the staunch pillars behind Faleke. Vanguard could not confirm the details of their discussion. Bello has reached Prof. Isaiah Daniel, the director general of the Abubakar Audu Campaign Organisation seeking his support.
His efforts nonetheless, those pushing for Faleke argued that Bello distanced himself from the party immediately he lost the party primaries. It was being said last night that he did not present himself at the two rallies attended by Vice-President Yemi Osinbanjo at Lokoja and Okene.
INEC gives APC tomorrow deadline
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, meanwhile yesterday affirmed that the APC has until tomorrow to substitute the late Audu.
The commission had earlier refuted claims that it gave a deadline to the party to forward the name of its new candidate.
However, Deputy Director in charge of Publicity at the commission, Nick Dazang told Vanguard,last night, that the party has till December 1, to submit the name of its candidate. He was however, silent on whether INEC would retain the late Audu’s name on the ballot paper should the party fail to do the needful before the deadline.
“APC has been requested to submit a candidate before or on December 1, 2015”, he said, directing further enquiries to the party.
In his letter to Odigie-Oyegun rejecting his nomination as running mate to Bello, Faleke also asserted the fact that the APC lost in Bello’s polling unit and ward, points he projected to reflect his claim that Bello worked against the party during the elections.
