Kogi Election: APC to conduct fresh primaries; ...dumps Audu’s running-mate

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced that a fresh primary election will be conducted in Kogi State to pick a replacement for late Abubakar Audu.

Speaking with reporters at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja on Tuesday, the Chairman of the party, John Oyegun, said the decision to hold a fresh primary was taken after the APC received a letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) asking it to replace late Audu.

“It is in the public space already that the Chief Law Officer of the republic has made his views known on how things should develop from this stage on.

“He has made a pronouncement to the effect that all that is required is for the APC to go through the processes of providing a substitute to our late candidate with the implication being that thereafter, the supplementary elections to conclude the process of electing a new governor of Kogi State will began to be put in place. So, as a party, we are going to proceed with the process of organising a primary to provide a substitute for our candidate, Abubakar Audu.

Mr Oyegun further said: “We will go into executive session to know the nature of the primary”.

On the fate of Mr. Audu’s running-mate, James Faleke, the APC national chairman said it would be decided after conducting fresh primary election.

“As a party, we are going to proceed with process of organising primaries to provide a substitute candidate for the late Abubakar Audu,” the party chairman declared.

While expressing his condolences to the family of late Audu on behalf of APC worldwide, Mr. Oyegun said the Attorney General of the Federation had made it public that the APC should replace the late candidate.

“He (attorney general) has made a pronouncement to the effect that all that is required is for the APC to go through the processes of providing a substitute to our late candidate.

“The INEC is also in agreement with the views of the attorney general because we have already received a letter from them formally asking us to find a replacement for the vacancy that has been created by the passing on of Prince Abubakar Audu.

“So that is what will engage the APC at this moment,” he said.