“Assuming without conceding that INEC is even right to order a supplementary election, the votes already cast, counted and declared on Saturday, 25th November 2015, were votes for the joint constitutional ticket of Prince Abubakar Audu and our client”.
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In a statement signed by its National Chairman, Olusegun Peters, the party said it was inappropriate for INEC to direct the All Progressives Congress (APC) to choose another candidate to substitute the late Abubakar Audu.
He also stated that the late Audu, who he described as a founding father of modern democracy in the state, was on a mission to seek people’s support and become governor to further develop state before he died.
They also asked the court to hold that APC could not lawfully nominate a candidate for the supplementary governorship election without a valid and legally cognizable primary election of the party conducted within the mandatory timeliness specified by the Electoral Act.
Acting national publicity secretary of the party, Mr. Timi Frank, who disclosed this to The Guardian said the party would take a final position on Audu’s replacement tomorrow, adding that the party was still consulting on the matter.
Ohikere lamented that the Presidency and APC leadership can not claim to be unaware of the provision of the law, where a running mate to a deceased candidate in an ongoing election steps in as the party’s flag bearer. “Also we had to consider two available options, which are that we either say, let’s allow the deputy candidate to inherit it or get the man who came second in the earlier primary to succeed him”, he said.
Malami said that the runner-up in the party primaries that produced Audu would be appropriate to replace him. With very high respect, we do not expect the APC to do less. I however agree that supplementary election can be proceeded with by INEC.
He urged stakeholders to ensure that the Supplementary Election slated for December 5, was error-proof and devoid of malfunctioning card readers, late commencement and lame excuses, ballot snatching and any form of violence.
“It is on record, and it is common knowledge that about 95 per cent of the process had been completed and the party had substantially complied with the electoral law before the election was declared inconclusive”. Those primaries that had taken place over time had not by anyway been nullified.
He said the former governor was on a rescue mission of the “Good people of Kogi state” before his demise which he termed “Triumphal exit”.
But he said, the PDP challenged the decision saying Mr. Atiku’s deputy, Boni Haruna, should automatically be made governor.
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Meanwhile, some persons believed to be supporters of APC in the Eastern zone of the state, blocked the Itobe end of the Niger Bridge yesterday and disrupted traffic for hours to protest the decision of APC to settle for Bello.
