Top APC leaders became divided after the Independent National Electoral Commission asked the party to submit a substitute for its governorship candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, who died on Sunday.
It was gathered that strong party leaders, including President Muhammadu Buhari; a former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and an ex-governor of Kano State, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso had yet to agree on Audu’s replacement.
INEC had declared the election inconclusive because cancelled votes or registered voters in places where elections did not take place were 49,953, a figure higher than Audu’s lead of 41,353.
The commission had on Tuesday written the APC, directing it to submit a replacement for Audu. APC also disclosed that it would hold a fresh primary to produce a replacement for Audu.
INEC also fixed December 5 as the date for supplementary election in the state.
Besides Audu’s son, Mohammed, who has been endorsed for the primary by Kogi East elders, others, who are said to be interested in the governorship slot include Yaya Bello; a former governorship candidate of the PDP, Jubril Echocho; Salihu Atawoda and Audu’s running mate, James Faleke.
Investigations showed that Buhari did not support Audu because of his closeness to a former governor.
Buhari had soft spot for James Ocholi, who is now his Minister of State for Labour and Employment.
A Presidency source said after the death of the APC governorship candidate, the President shifted his support to Bello, who came second at the primary, where Audu emerged as the party’s candidate.
But the source added that the President “is not a type of person that would impose his will on others.”
Buhari’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, while advising APC to substitute Audu, hinted that Bello might emerge as the replacement for the deceased candidate.
When asked if Faleke would become the APC candidate or not, Malawi told journalists that the primary that produced Audu was still valid.
But according to PUNCH, Tinubu was a strong supporter of Audu, but he was of the view that Faleke, his political godson, should naturally be a replacement for the deceased governorship candidate.
A member of the APC National Working Committee, who confided in Saturday PUNCH,said, “From all indications, Tinubu is now backing Faleke. He believes that Faleke is part of the APC governorship ticket and that it will amount to injustice if a fresh primary is held.”
It was, however, gathered that the APC NWC members, including Odigie-Oyegun, insisted on a fresh primary because they were opposed to Bello.
A member of the NWC said, “We felt the pulse of the people of the state and most of them are rooting for Mohammed. Besides, Bello does not have the type of political clout that Audu had, although he came second in the primary.”
It was also gathered that Mohammed Audu was being supported by ex-Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.
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