At the edge of trouncing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is now teetering on the brink of defeat because James Faleke, its running mate to the late Prince Audu chooses to defy the party’s decision with impunity.
The All Progressives Congress in Kogi State started on a strong footing, underlining its intent to effect change in the leadership of the Confluence State.
From its membership registration to its congresses, the enthusiasm for change was visible and manifest. The build-up to the 2015 general elections showed some inherent fault lines in the party.
The panel which was dispatched to conduct primaries for the different elective offices was accused of bias as results were allegedly forged, leading to several litigations by aggrieved parties. Not surprisingly, some disaffected members worked against the interest of the party in the elections.
There was, however, a different hue during its governorship primaries. The panel which was led by the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, organized what was arguably the best primary ever in the political history of the state. All the aspirants were given a level playing ground to prove themselves.
Veteran politician, the late Prince Abubakar Audu emerged winner of the election. Though no one questioned the integrity of the poll, questions were raised as to the eligibility of the late politician.
A video documentary evidence was presented to a special panel to prove that Audu voted during the primaries as a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, a situation that runs contrary to the laws of the party.
Many aggrieved governorship aspirants chose not to support the emergence of Audu, heralding the opening of the cracks.
Analysts believe that the drafting of Hon. James Faleke into the power equation as running mate to the late politician was a smart political move to secure the blessings of a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Before now, Faleke had been two term chairman of Ikeja Local Government Area in Lagos and is presently representing Ikeja Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
With Faleke as running mate, Tinubu was able to rally the leadership of APC behind the ticket. Even at that, President Muhammadu Buhari did not attend any of the two APC governorship campaign rallies in Kogi State.
Stories of historical hostilities between Buhari and the late Audu began to surface in the media, prompting party chieftains to regularly take defensive position on the issue anytime the names of the two were mentioned.
Stupendous war chest
With a stupendous war chest and the change mantra, APC was cruising to a nail-biting lead in the governorship election before Audu died throwing the spanner into the camp of the APC.
Remarkably, even before the announcement of his death, INEC had declared the election inconclusive on the basis of differences between Audu and Captain Idris Wada, the candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
INEC’s directive to APC to present a replacement for Audu in the supplementary election has now seriously divided the party at the state and at the national level.
It is generally believed that Yahaya Bello, a one-time grassroots mobiliser for President Buhari, who has now been chosen as the party’s replacement for Audu does not enjoy the support of Tinubu.
It is the first open difference between the two leaders and the decision of Faleke not to heed the decision of the party leadership is bound to remind many of the recent face-off in the National Assembly where some were alleged to have rebelled against the party’s leadership.
The decision of Faleke to press his claim as the governor-elect against the inclination of the party to file Bello as candidate in this weekend’s supplementary election is bound to further aggravate the differences between the party leaders.
Remarkably, he has written INEC withdrawing his name as running mate to Bello further compounding the situation for the party as Bello would require a running mate to be a genuine candidate.
It is also being alleged that the refusal of Engr. George Olusola Olumoroti to accept the offer of running mate to Bello was part of the larger script to ensure it is “Faleke or nobody” as far as the Kogi governorship debacle is involved.
Sources in PDP say the party may go to court again before the supplementary poll to exploit the precarious uncertainty surrounding the inability of the APC to nominate a running mate.
While the Kogi East caucus of the APC feels betrayed by the party leadership for not replacing the late Prince Audu with another Igalaman, the Kogi West people are accusing APC national leaders of working against Faleke while Christians in the state are insinuating that APC moved against Faleke because he is a Christian.
It is yet to be seen how APC will wriggle out of the current impasse as a united body. Since Faleke is a Lagos big boy, he doesn’t command votes in the state.
The one predictable certainty is that if the party leadership fails to call Faleke to order, he will split the party votes in the 91 polling units for the supplementary election and APC will settle humiliatingly for defeat to PDP.
-Vanguard
