Who Would Replace Late Audu?

APC, ahead of the December 5 supplementary polls to conclude the governorship election, has proposed fresh primaries to throw up a replacement for late Audu.

At press time, yesterday, the APC hierarchy in Abuja and Lokoja were still undecided on the mode of the potential primary contest.

The INEC decision followed a pronouncement to that effect by the Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami. While the APC welcomed the decision, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP demanded Malami’s resignation as it described the decision as an affront to democracy laced with mines to torpedo the democratic choice of the people in Kogi State.

There was also a cloud on whether it would be restricted to only those who bought the initial forms or opened up to new entrants, a possibility that could draw in Audu’s running mate, Rep. James Faleke and Alhaji Isah Jibrin Echocho who recently defected from the PDP after a stormy political battle with the incumbent governor, Captain Idris Wada.

The seeming constitutional crisis in Kogi State was opened after last Saturday’s governorship election was declared inconclusive upon the fact that the difference in votes between the late Audu and Wada was smaller than the number of registered voters in the 91 polling units where the votes were cancelled. Audu died Sunday before the election could be concluded, throwing up a legal storm on the fate of the election.