Audu’s replacement with Yahaya Bello: APC has done well - By Kabir Omolori

By Kabir Omolori

Since the news filtered the air on the endorsement of Alhaji Yahaya Bello, popularly known as Fair Plus, some uninformed detractors and political foes have tended to promote hatred, animosity, jealousy and baseless innuendo against the endorsement. Indeed, these negative traits are expected from people who have clinched to power for years and do not expect, as a result of selfishness and avarice, that one day, such power would be surrendered willingly or unwillingly. It should be understood that for any one to be governor of any state, one must undergo some rudiments or processes ranging from expression of interest, participating in primary election to confirm or determine candidate before being endorsed by party as candidate to face others in the secondary election.

The late Prince Abubakar Audu and Alhaji Yahaya Bello expressed their interest, collected and submitted nomination forms and participated in the keenly contested primary. The result of the primary clearly indicates that Audu came first having won with 1,109 votes while Bello came second position with 709 votes. APC then presented Audu as her candidate having came first in the exercise. Yahaya Bello coming out as good sportsman congratulated Audu for winning the Primary election.

In addition to Audu's court cases of corrupt practices and misappropriation of state fund as governor between 1999 and 2003; Audu violated APC law, which prevented Board of Trustee member to resign 30 days before election which he has an interest and must not vote for himself. It is pertinent for any one in the position of Yahaya Bello to petition the National Working Committee of the party on the violation of the relevant law by his opponent, which he did. The NWC of APC looked into the petition against the late Audu and found him wanting. He was asked to step down for the first runner up but he refused and went Scot free. The political supporters of Yahaya Bello were not happy about the issue. They strongly advised him to relocate from the party but Yahaya Bello refused and continue to play his allegiance and loyalty to the party against every odd till the secondary election of 21st November, 2015, he remained resolute to the extent that he lost some of his key supporters. At the end of the election, no one was declared winner because the Independent National Electiral Commission (INEC) said the election was inconclusive because of reports of violence that prevented chunks of registered voters from exercising their franchise. The INEC promised to fix another time for supplementary election in 91 polling units to conclude the election. Thereafter on the same date of declaring election inconclusive by INEC, we heard the shock news that the candidate of the on going Kogi state governorship election, Prince Abubakar Audu was dead. The death of Audu is a monumental loss to Kogites and Nigerians in general. Death as we know does not respect age, tribe, colour or creed. It comes at any point in time and strikes any one be it any thing. Thereafter, the INEC issued out statement promising to conclude the inconclusive election and directed the APC to replace the deceased Audu with another candidate.  The Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice lent his voice to guide APC on the position of the law regarding Audu's replacement. He specifically advised APC to consider the result of her primary election, which is still valid with the possibility of endorsing the first and second runner up of the primary and also ruled out the issue of fresh primary. This is the truth of the matter. It therefore sounds very ridiculous that some vested interest and tribalistuc despot suggested that the late Audu's son, Mohammed Audu be endorsed by APC to replace his father.

In the first instance, we are not sure if Mohammed Audu is a registered card carrying member of APC. We are also aware that Mohammed Audu did not in any way participate in the primary election that qualified his father as candidate. We do not also know if there is any will written by his father, asking his son to take over his election mandate whenever he is dead. Under what basis did the Igala APC want Mohammed Audu to be endorsed, all beats our imagination. In any case, is it because the Igalas are so self centred that they don't want the leadership to move out from them after almost twenty years of being with the power? Did they not ask themselves if the office of the governor is a hereditary like that of traditional stool? Is this not an exposition of hatred, tribalism and nepotism by the Igalas? If they expect Mohamned to suddenly replace his late father as governor, why then did his late father refuse to take Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the man who came second to him as running mate or take from any one of those who contested primary with him?

There are many questions for them to have asked and answered before coming out with such ridiculous suggestion. It is interesting to note that in the result of the inconclusive election held on 21st November 2015, the Ebiras in APC gave Igalas candidate a chunk number of over 104,000 votes where as the Igalas only gave Ebira candidate just a paltry number of 325 votes. I really sympathise with the people of Ebira who are known for their hospitality and openness. 

It is also funny that the running mate of the late Audu also declared himself as Governor-elect in an election that has not been concluded. I do not blame him because if not selfishness, he shouldn't have been selected as running mate in view of his double standard loyalty for Lagos and Kogi state. Again, this is a man who had also not participated in the primary election that made his late Boss a candidate. This is rather very unfortunate.As for the incumbent Governor who also cried wolf where there is none, I think he is just on his own.

On the final note here, I wish to commend the APC NWC for being prudent in arriving at Alhaji Yahaya Bello as candidate to replace the late Audu. It is the only option that can be justified with the law and common sense. For those who are still led by their noses about the sensible endorsement of Bello to replace the late Audu, let them thread the path of honour because it is Yahaya Bello today, it may be them tomorrow facing the same scenario.

Let us all come together to liberate and emancipate Kogi state so that tomorrow shall be better.