The political popularity of the Audu/Faleke political organisation received a boost at the weekend as the candidate sponsored by the group, Senator Abdulrahman Abubakar Alias Railway, floored the candidate from Alhaji Yahaya Bello’s group, Halima Alfa and other contestants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election held within the main bowl of Achema Stadium, Idah.
Abubakar scored 1,182 votes to defeat his closest rival, Alfa who polled 383 votes.
Both Abubakar and Alfa belong to different political camps within the APC. While Abubakar belongs to the Audu / Faleke political family, Alfa romances the Yahaya Bello group.
Reacting to Abubakar’s victory, Alhaji Mohammed Audu, eldest son of the late Prince Abubakar Audu said it was victory well deserved from delegates who have vowed to remain loyal to the cause of Audu/Faleke political family.
“We are grateful to our very loyal delegates who refused to betray the trust reposed in them. We are grateful to the Almighty Allah who is the pillar of support of our political family. This is clear signal that the Audu-Faleke political family is still very much alive, united and focused,” he asserted.
The APC in Kogi State had split into two camps after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the November 21, 2015 governorship election in Kogi State inconclusive.
Things got messier following the death of the party,s candidate in the election, Audu and INEC calling for a replacement. The APC leadership in a bizarre decision opted to pick Bello instead of Hon. James Faleke, Audu’s deputy.
However, Faleke cried foul insisting that the Audu/Faleke ticket indeed won the November 21, 2015 election having scored the highest numbers of votes and fulfilled all constitutional requirements.
He had since filed a case at the election tribunal sitting in Lokoja to reclaim the Audu-Faleke mandate.
Credit: Thisday
