Audu Group Accuses Faleke of Fake Endorsement of Kogi Governor
A group loyal to the legacy of the late governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Abubakar Audi has described the purported endorsement of Governor Yahaya Bello in the name of Audi/Faleke Group as “one of the biggest political scams ever.”
A statement jointly signed by Chief Dare Olatunde, the Maiyegun of Isanlu and Dr Odekina Abutu, disowned Hon. James Faleke, the House of Representatives member for Ikeja Federal Constituency over what they called “political fraud.”
They said it was unbecoming for a man whose constituency is in Lagos State to direct political affairs in Kogi.
“There is no Audu group, in Ikeja, Lagos, where he has valid mandate. He was brought to Kogi state in a political arrangement that made him late Governor Audu’s running mate, a relationship that barely lasted six weeks before the late political sage passed on,” they alleged.
They group insists that “Faleke met Abubakar Audu after the 2015 primary election and immediately after the Supreme Court ruling, that affirmed the fact that Hon. James Faleke could not inherit Gov Audu’s votes, he absconded to his base and area of influence Lagos state only for him to come back three years later and attempt to claim political leadership of the Audu political structure to endorse Gov Yahaya Bello. This is a fraud and the Audu political family urge the public to disregard this endorsement by Faleke. It, at best, can only represent the Faleke political family if it exists.”
Audu’s family urged all and sundry to disregard the charade carried out by James Faleke. The family posits that the late Audu’s political dynasty is not a commodity to be traded for cheap political points and gratification.
According to the group, between 1990 and 1992, Prince Abubakar Audu had already consolidated his political grip in Kogi west, with Chief Ola Akande as his deputy for almost two years.
Between 1999 and 2003, during his second coming to the leadership of Kogi and attempt for another term,Chief Patrick Adaba, from Kogi central was running mate to Prince Audu.
They noted that Audu’s political structure has existed since 1991 when he contested and won on the platform of the National Republican Convention (NRC) from there to All Peoples Party, (APP), the All Nigeria Peoples Party, (ANPP), the Action Congress Of Nigeria(ACN) and lastly to the All Progressives Congress, (APC) where Faleke enjoyed a two-month political affiliation with the late Prince Audu.
Further querying the programme, Chief Dare and Dr Abutu said Hon Faleke cannot handover the Audu political group/family, when there are no prominent politicians from the Audu political family in both Kogi East, Central and West involved. They insisted that he gathered fair weather politicians, who have lost all relevance in the political landscape of Kogi state and want to use this to kickstart their stagnated political relevance.