Supporters of the Audu/Faleke ticket in the November 11 governorship election in Kogi State on Sunday, 27th December, 2015 warned those blackmailing the running mate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu, Hon. James Faleke that no amount of blackmail can stop. Faleke from claiming the mandate freely given to him and the late Audu by the people of the state.
Relying on intelligence report, the supporters berated a group – Team Fairplus – for wrongly accusing Faleke of plotting to disrupt the peace of the state.
According to them, the group, which claimed to be the social media campaign organisation of Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has concluded plans to label Faleke a trouble maker before the end of the year.
In a statement signed by Bayo Ayo, the supporters accused Team Fairplus of crying wolf where none existed by misleading security operatives with its claim that Faleke was planning to plunge Kogi State into chaos if he is not declared governor-elect on or before January 10.
The supporters accused members of the Fair Plus of living with the fear of the harmless.
“They are only afraid of their own shadow,” Ayo said in the statement, urging the state police command to unmask and investigate one Dauda O Isah, who signed for Fair Plus.
According to Ayo, Isah would have more information on the Family Solidarity Movement (FSM), which the Fair Plus group claimed was being used to foment trouble in the Confluence State.
The supporters’ statement reads: “Only those who have stolen the mandate of the people are afraid. James Faleke has gone to the tribunal to pursue a just cause that he believes in and we have no doubt in our minds that he will get justice.
“We are no longer under the reign of impunity. The security agencies need not be misled into clamping down on law-abiding citizens over phantom, spurious and unsubstantiated claims of some faceless group whose members seek to profit where they have not labored.
“The people of Kogi State know who they entrusted their mandate with. Where were members of this fair-weather group during the electioneering campaign? It is immoral of them to have returned into a ship they once jumped and believe that the people will sail with them. Nature abhors vacuum. No group can lord it over the people.
“At a time we were traversing the nooks and crannies of the state, canvassing for votes, Faleke had no plan to cause chaos. Now that he felt he had been unfairly treated, they want to label him. Blackmail won’t help their cause. Justice, even if delayed, will surely come. The mandate of Kogi people won’t be stolen.
“He who alleges must prove. Promoters of Fair Plus must be invited by security operatives for proper investigation. For us as supporters of the Audu/Faleke ticket, we have done our part and we are sure that it is just a matter of time, victory is certain.
