Mr Kingsley Fanwo, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state, has said that his boss’ deputy would emerge in due course after consultations with lawyers and the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mr Fanwo, who fielded questions on a live radio programme on Ray Power Radio, said the governor did not participate in the supplementary governorship poll on January 9, 2016 without a deputy governorship candidate.
“The governor will listen to the lawyers and the party. In due course, a deputy governor will emerge,” he said when asked on what his boss would do since Mr John Faleke, the preferred deputy governor had refused to accept the nomination.
He dismissed the allegation by Faleke’s media aide, Mr Duro Meseko, that the choice of Bello as a governorship candidate was wrong because he refused to work for the party after losing at the primary election.
He faulted the argument, saying Bello was instrumental to the success of the APC in Kogi state during the 2015 general elections.
He advised Faleke’s aide to avoid sentiments while advancing his arguments, stating that Faleke too did not work for the party during the 2015 general elections as he was a candidate from Lagos state.
Mr Fanwo added that there was nothing wrong with the candidacy of Bello because his deputy just decided to ‘abscond’ from the swearing-in ceremony.
Speaking during the same programme, the Director of Media and Publicity of Audu/Faleke Campaign, Hon. Duro Meseko, insisted that the election of November 21, 2015 in which he (Faleke) ran as running mate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu, had already been won and lost.
Meseko wondered why the electoral body handled the Kogi scenario differently when the winner of the governorship election in Bayelsa state was announced despite the fact that the number of cancelled votes was also higher than the margin between the leading candidate and the runner-up.
He further expressed his belief that Faleke should have stepped into the late Audu’s shoes going by the provision of Section 187 of the Nigerian constitution since he was his running mate, stressing that “they have joint ticket”.
Credit: Daily Trust
