Kogi APC is confused over Faleke's decision

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi state is in disarray over decision of the state’s deputy governor-elect, James Faleke to boycott the January 27 swearing-in ceremony in the state.

Faleke who was the running mate to the late Abubakar Audu, the APC candidate in the November 21, 2015 governorship election has insisted that he would not be deputy to the governor-elect, Yahaya Bello. He has refused to recognise Yahaya Bello as Kogi state governor-elect since the outcome of the supplementary election.

Party stakeholders in the state have gone back to the drawing board to reconfigure the state’s political positions following the Faleke’s stance.

Vanguard reports that Faleke’s decision to shun the inauguration ceremony has led to a move by stakeholders from the Igala speaking Kogi east district to ensure  the office of deputy governor is zoned to them on that they can not be left out of the two positions in the state, being the largest senatorial district.

Sources close to Faleke said: “As far as we are concerned, Faleke is not the Deputy Governor-Elect to Alh. Bello, but the late Prince Abubakar Audu who won the governorship election before he died. Faleke is the only person who is qualified to inherit Audu’s votes because the ticket was a joint property.

“We are not bothered about plans for inauguration because it has no impact on us. Let them do their inauguration while we pursue our case in court. At the end of the day, the law will determine the rightful occupant of Lugard House.”

They dismissed insinuations that Faleke had plans to disrupt the inauguration, saying “as a man of peace, our principal has confidence in the judiciary to resolve the Kogi impasse”.

However, a group known as the Kogi United for Justice has alleged that “Faleke and his loyalists are planning to cause crisis in the state in the guise of violent protests to make the state look unsafe ahead of the swearing-in ceremony in the state”.

The group in a statement described Faleke’s alleged plot to cause chaos in the state as akin to political terrorism.
It said: “Information at our disposal revealed that after succeeding in foisting crisis on the legislative arm of government, Faleke and his loyalists are planning to cause crisis in the state in the guise of violent protests to make the state look unsafe". The group alleged that Faleke and his supporters are working against peace, oneness and development of Kogi State.