Kogi election: How Audu emerged APC candidate
Former governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, yesterday, emerged winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Kogi State.
The election took place in Lokoja, capital of the state.
Audu polled 1,109 votes to emerge victorious over 26 other co-contestants who went into the race with him.
One of the aspirants, Babatunde Irukera, withdrew from the race before the commencement of the primary poll on Saturday.
Audu’s closest oppont, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, from Kogi Central, polled 703 votes in the keenly contested election which was adjudged by many as free and fair.
Nasir el-Rufa’i, the chairman of the Kogi APC governorship primary panel and governor of Kaduna State, who declared the results of the poll, expressed his gratitude to all the contestants and delegates.
He said he was happy with the transparent and peaceful manner in which the election was conducted.
The governor said the core principles of the APC, including integrity, openness and transparency, were observed in electing the gubernatorial candidate of the party, stressing that the development was an added impetus for the party.
He called on all the remaining aspirants to rally round the flag bearer to ensure victory of the APC come November 21 when the governorship election will be held.
In his acceptance speech, Prince Audu expressed gratitude to the APC governorship panel for a transparent election, assuring that he would carry all the other aspirants along to ensure victory at the poll.
Audu said his coming into the governorship race this time around was basically to rescue Kogi from its present state of backwardness, adding: “We are grateful with the transparent nature of the election. I have consulted with other contestants and they told me they are quite okay with the manner the contest was handled.
“As far as we are concerned in this contest, there is no loser, no winner, no Victor, no
Analyst argue that if three of the major contestants from the central part of the state had settled for a consensus candidate, they would have possibly taken the day. This is because they, together, polled a total of 1,412, higher than the 1,109 votes that gave Audu victory at the poll
vanquished.”
Speaking on behalf of other contestants, Bello expressed readiness to work with the APC flag bearer whom he described as their leader in the party.
He said: “We are determined to work in harmony. We shall work together to ensure victory is ours come November 21 this year. It is our desire that our leader will carry all of us along and together we shall have a resounding victory and send the PDP-led government out of Kogi.”
Reacting to the development, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state said the emergence of Audu as Kogi APC flag bearer has softened the ground for the PDP to clinch victory come November 21.
The results of other contestants in the governorship primary is as follows: Senator Nurudeen Abatemi Usman (400), Sanusi Abubakar (309), Air Vice Marshal Saliu Atawodi (183), James Ocholi (90), Olusola Olumoroti (58), Suleiman Baba Ali (28), Rotimi Obadofin (16), Dr Tim Nda Diche (13) and Abdullahi Suleiman (11).
Clarence Olafemi, the former acting governor of Kogi State, (7), Senator Yahaya Ugbane (8), Yakeen Abdullahi (8), Idris Danjuma (5) and Col. Ahmed Usman (6).
Dramatically, the remaining aspirants scored between 2 and 0 votes.
Meanwhile, certain factors are believed to have contributed to the emergence of Audu as the flag bearer out the total of 28 of aspirants cleared for the contest.
Audu’s strong influence on the All Progressives Congress party structure in the state over the years is believed to be one of the factors that worked for him. Pundits believe that he enjoys the goodwill of party executives in the state.
In the same vein, Audu’s financial muscles and sympathy he enjoys from people of the state could have equally paid off for him.
The overwhelming backing the former governor received from leaders of the APC in Kogi East is also seen as one of the factors that worked in his favour.
More so, the inability of aspirants from the central zone to present a consensus candidate to stand against Audu in the race was seen as another factor that made Audu’s victory an easy one.
Analyst argue that if three of the major contestants from the central part of the state had settled for a consensus candidate, they would have possibly taken the day.
This is because they, together, polled a total of 1,412, higher than the 1,109 votes that gave Audu victory at the poll.
For now, although Bello has indicated his readiness to work with Audu, it is not clear what the response of the remaining contestants would be as majority of them left the venue of the congress before the event was concluded.
Therefore, the main task ahead of APC gubernatorial candidate is to ensure the party remains united ahead of the November 21 election.
All things being equal, the governorship contest in Kogi State will now be between Audu and whoever will emerge as the candidate of other political parties, including the PDP.