The controversy trailing last Saturday Kogi governorship election is taking a new twist as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) are claiming victory. This is the major issue of focus on Nigerian dailies today, November 27.
In the Saturday election, the APC candidate, Abubakar Audu had polled 240,867 votes, 41,353 votes higher than the PDP candidate and incumbent state governor, Idris Wada, who scored 199,514 votes.
Unfortunately, Audu died shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the election inconclusive on Sunday.
The INEC has scheduled a supplementary election in the state for December 5.
The Punch reports that James Faleke, the running mate of the late Audu, has opposed the proposed supplementary election asking the commission to declare him winner of the November 21 election.
The Punch front page, Friday November 27, 2015.
This was contained in separate letters to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the national chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
Faleke’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) asked for his client to be declared as the governor-elect for Kogi state.
He added that there was no reason why INEC should have declared the election inconclusive, adding that the reason adduced by the electoral umpire for its action was alien and unconstitutional.
In his letter to Odigie-Oyegun, Olanipekun urged the APC to support Faleke in the actualisation of the mandate already given to him by the party.
Daily Sun reports that Governor Wada of the PDP is also asking to be declared winner of the election. According to him, by virtue of the death of the APC candidate, Audu, he should be declared winner.
Daily Sun front page, Friday November 27, 2015.
In a communique read to newsmen yesterday in Abuja by Olisa Metuh, the PDP national publicity secretary, the party demanded that its candidate be declared winner as the APC could no longer replace its candidate, saying there was no window for substitution of candidate in the course of an election either in the Electoral Act or the Constitution.
Meanwhile, Vanguard reports that the name of Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the runner up in the APC governorship primary has been forwarded to the INEC as a replacement for Audu.
Vanguard front page, Friday November 27, 2015.
It was learnt that Bello was being projected by some elements in the party acting in concert with senior presidency officials.
The Guardian reports that some supporters of the late Audu especially in the Igala-speaking Kogi East are lobbying for the son of the deceased, Mohammed Audu to replace his father on the ticket going into the supplementary election as ordered by INEC.
The Guardian front page, Friday November 27, 2015.
According to sources, they decided to settle for the eldest son of Audu to preserve the zoning arrangement and the legacy of Audu rather than go for an all-comers primary.
The source added that the party reasoned that since victory had already been won midway into the election, organising a fresh primary election would throw up new animosities and destabilise the party further.
The APC may take a decision today (Friday) after consultations, The Nationreports.
Odigie-Oyegun and some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party were said to be consulting some leaders of the party.
The Nation front page, Friday November 27, 2015.
A top party leader said: “The National Chairman and some members of the NWC have been consulting party leaders across board on the way forward. The consultations were really tasking but we hope that by Friday we should arrive at a conclusion. We may make our decision known on Friday.”
The Union reports that the Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC), has called for the conduct of fresh election in the state.
The Union front page, Friday November 27, 2015.
The party, in a statement signed by its national president, Rev. Olusegun Peters, said it “rejects the Independent National Electoral Commission’s position to continue the 21st November poll by conducting a supplementary election for 91 polling units on 5th December, 2015.”
Complete Sports front page, Friday November 27, 2015.
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