Faleke begs court to declare him governor-elect

In the suit filed by his counsel, Wole Olanipekun, Faleke is insisting that the polls did not end up inconclusive as declared by INEC but was instead conclusive enough to be declare a victor.

Though Wada had in his originating summons prayed the court to declare him victor of the November 21 governorship election, the other plaintiffs however sought for the nullification of the election as well as an order compelling INEC to conduct a fresh poll.

He asked the Commission not to go ahead with the supplementary election.

He went on to assure the people of Kogi State that the electoral body was fully prepared to conduct both the Kogi Supplementary and Bayelsa governorship elections, which are both slated for Saturday.

“I also told him, Mr. Chairman, for us as a family, Kogi State political family, we are not taking part in that election, my name can not be submitted because I was not even consulted in the first instance”.

When the matter came up for hearing yesterday, all the parties in the suit agreed to consolidate the case since they all have the same subject matter.

He consolidated the four suits, as he persuaded lawyers to the various plaintiffs to distill out three central issues for the court to determine.

Speaking through its Chairman, Mr. Olufunmilayo Alabi, the forum said the action of the leaders of the party was capable of jeopardising its success at the rescheduled supplementary election.

While INEC and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), were represented in court, there was no legal representation for the APC.

In the same vein, James Abiodun Faleke, the running mate of the late APC governorship candidate, Abubakar Audu has approached the high court, seeking a declaration that election to the office of Governor of a state ‎can only be conducted in the manner expressly stipulated in section 179 (2), (a)(b), (3)(a)(b), 4(a)(b) and (5) of the constitution. We told them that it is not acceptable and we are not going with it, and that I personally observed that my name was submitted to INEC as the Deputy Governorship candidate, ” he continued.

According to him, the party’s choice was also capable of throwing the state into chaos, saying the bloody clash that took place between Bello and Faleke’s faction at the party’s secretariat was a prelude to what to expect before, during and after the election.

Faleke also urged the court to declare that the results declared by INEC following the November 21 governorship election in Kogi State, produced a governor-elect of the state in accordance with the express provisions of section 179(2)(a) and (b) of the constitution.