Political kingpins in Kogi State have gone back to the drawing board to reconfigure the state’s political positions following the final decision of the state’s Deputy Governor-elect, Hon. James Faleke to absent himself at next week’s inauguration ceremony.
The governor-elect, Alhaji Yahaya Bello and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Vanguard learned are at a cross roads over the push by stakeholders from the Igala speaking Kogi East district for the office of deputy governor to be zoned to them on the grounds that as the largest senatorial district they cannot be left out of the first two positions in the state.
Bello is from Kogi Central while Faleke is from Kogi West.
Vanguard was reliably informed by sources close to Faleke on the final decision not to partake in the inauguration ceremony scheduled for January 27.
“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 said.
The sources also informed that Faleke has no plans of disrupting the inauguration, saying, “as a man of peace, our principal has confidence in the judiciary to resolve the Kogi impasse.”
Given the determination of Faleke to abstain himself, the party it was gathered has commenced the search for a replacement for the office of deputy governor.
