Circumstances birthed Audu/Faleke political family and circumstances may lead to its death as we approach the November 11 election.
Many of the Audu/Faleke political family members were already playing big politics before Faleke came in the mainstream Kogi politics in 2015 after Prince Abubakar Audu won the APC primaries ticket for the 2015 governorship election and the choice of Rt. Hon Abiodun Faleke as his deputy.
Faleke instantly became the rallying point for APC struggle to upstage PDP especially in Kogi West during the 2015 campaigns being the potential No. 2 man if APC wins the election.
The election victory was thrown into confusion when Prince Abubakar Audu died suddenly before the results were conclusively announced by INEC in favour of APC. Prince Abubakar Audu’s death led to the choice of Alhaji Yahaya Bello by the party National Secretariat who was never on the ballot; many of us decided to stick with Rt. Hon Abiodun Faleke whom we think should be the natural replacement and beneficiary of the effort put into getting the victory for APC because Alh. Yahaya Bello did not contribute much to the efforts.
The party’s decision to choose Alh. Yahaya Bello instead of Rt. Hon Abiodun Faleke gave birth to Audu/Faleke political family and we stood with Faleke all through to the Supreme Court to challenge the party decision of presenting Alh. Yahaya Bello to INEC as Prince Abubakar Audu replacement instead of Rt. Hon. Abiodun Faleke.
The Supreme Court ruling favoured Alh. Yahaya Bello but many of us stood with Faleke because we felt the party decision was unfair and unjustified.
Fast forward in 2019; the Audu/Faleke political family came together as a political force that was not ready to support Yahaya Bello second term but the intervention of the APC national leader and a firm promise from Yahaya Bello to support Okun governor as his successor changed the trajectory and the Audu/Faleke political family supported and worked for Yahaya Bello second term ambition.
Disappointingly, Yahaya Bello decided to hijack the party ticket for his cousin brother, Alh. Usman Ododo from the same ward in Kogi Central, a decision that is still being challenged at the courts as we speak.
Yahaya Bello’s decision to handover APC ticket to another Kogi Central candidate created a disquiet within the Audu/Faleke political family with many of the members rejecting the decision and vowing not to support it.
Unfortunately, Faleke long silence as the leader of Audu/Faleke political family led to gradual erosion in the family. As we speak the family has disintegrated into several groups with some of the members supporting Admiral Usman Jubrin (Accord Party candidate), some are with Muri Ajaka (SDP candidate), some are routing for Elder Leke Abejide (ADC candidate) and Rt. Hon Abiodun Faleke leading some to join Alh. Usman Ododo team whilst some are still undecided on their next steps politically. So, effectively Audu/Faleke political family suffered injurious abortion in 2023 and no longer command the unity of purpose that can be activated through the direction of the leader as we approach the November 11, 2023 election.
In conclusion, many of us in the Audu/Faleke political family, including me, believe in the Okun governorship project and would work to achieve it.
I am a foundation member of APC and remain an APC member but I will work for justice and fairness.
Kogi East having produced governors for 19 years and Kogi Central for 12 years (8 years of Yahaya Bello as Kogi State governor plus 4 years of Adamu Attah as Kwara State governor) it is only fair for Kogi West to produce the next governor.
El’Rufai despite being a Fulani supported powershift to the South against his kinsman and Governor Wike despite being a PDP man supported powershift to the South against his party in the spirit of fairness and justice, so I am committed to the realisation of Okun governor in the forthcoming Kogi State governorship election.
I don’t want to be a happy slave in my state for political expediency.
Thank you,
– Engr. Olusola George Olumoroti (OGO)
APC Chieftain and Former Governorship Aspirant.
