Kogi: APC may sanction Faleke as he petitions Police, DSS over threat to life

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) might have resolved at the weekend to set up a disciplinary committee to look into the recalcitrant position of Hon. James Faleke, running mate to the late governorship candidate of the party in Kogi State, Alhaji Abubakar Audu, against the stand of the party on the state’s election.

This is as Faleke has said his resolve to claim back his mandate as governor-elect was further energised after the continuous threat his life by some politicians, stating that he had reported the threats to the police and other security agencies though he was undeterred.

A national officer of the APC, who hinted at the

development and pleaded anonymity, said the party was pondering a five-man committee to query Faleke on why he decided to trample on party supremacy and embarrass it by “making a deliberate mess of the Kogi situation, despite all entreaties in collective interest”.

Faleke had in the heat of the constitutional crisis

occasioned by the death of Audu, insisted that he

should be declared winner of the governorship election and in furtherance of his case, approached the courts for an intervention, which however is against the stand of the party.

But the APC, following the constitutional impasse created by Audu’s death, had nominated Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the first runner up at the party’s primaries as its replacement for the December 5 supplementary election, which he (Bello) went on to win.

But Faleke has not given up on his position, insisting Bello could not inherit the votes he and his late principal-to-be worked for.

Against this backdrop, the APC, it was gathered, had come up with a decision to make Faleke face a disciplinary committee as a way for the party to start asserting itself.

The source said Faleke, by his disposition, greatly embarrassed the party and could not get away with it because he would have set a bad

precedent.

“His own nomination as running mate to Audu also created problems for the party because of how he came into the picture but the APC through its supremacy was able to prevail on other tendencies to let him have a smooth run. 

It is therefore a sign of sheer ingratitude to the party leadership for someone like him who has

benefited from the magnanimity of the party leadership to seek to embarrass it”, the source said.

“The phrase ‘party supremacy’ is not going to exist only in the books; the time has come for us to put it to work.

“The unfortunate thing is that people, who had

benefited immensely from the party at different

capacities, are the ones wont to turn up such appalling attitude or disrespect the authorities. 

But that would have to stop. “We understand his right but constitutionally, that stops at the level of running mate for now.

He cannot force anything and the party would not be blackmailed to submission, either in person or by proxy and that is why such disappointing and embarrassing insubordination would not be condoned. 

Those would be the issues the disciplinary committee would address when they eventually deploy to work,” the national officer of the

party said.

It is worthy of note that the chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had recently said Faleke was not indispensable, adding that the party would replace him, if he held on to his guns on the governorship seat.

“On the Faleke issue, it is rather a straightforward and easy issue; we have replaced a governorship candidate. 

If the need arises and subject to what the law says, we will also get a deputy governorship

candidate but we will cross those bridges as they arise but they have not arisen yet. 

As a political party, we simply understand the frustration that emanated from the death of Abubakar Audu. 

However, it is normal for us to accommodate the immediate reactions coming from the people involved.

“Wielding the big stick in a situation like this might not be appropriate but there will be a time-line to it. 

Enough will be enough at a certain time…In the next few weeks depending on who goes to court or who doesn’t, we will know the boundaries of the law in respect of these issues.

“As at now, we are very glad with the results that we have got and I’m very sure they would be upheld virtually in every tribunal whatsoever because we have adopted simple commonsense solution legally defensible.

We cross every bridge as we get to it; we’ll wait and see who does what and work out answers that meet each situation.

“We have thought the process through and we have won the election in Kogi. Those who feel aggrieved, it is for them to call to question whatever they feel aggrieved about and we are going to meet them on those grounds. For us in APC, Kogi is a settled issue; if you want to go to the tribunal, we’ll meet you there. 

If you want to go to court, we’ll meet you there,” he said.

According to Faleke’s petition, “It has become

necessary to bring this to the public knowledge over the continous threat to my life due to my stand not to compromise #Audu/Faleke mandate for anything.

“I have to make this threat to my life public because of the loud silence from the security agencies even after sending petition to them.”

‘I have sent petition to the IG of Police and DG, DSS on the continuous threat to my life but no response till now’

“The Lord is my shield & protector, he alone gives me courage and strength, I fear no one but Him. 

No weapon formed against me shall prosper”

“No amount of intimidation and threat will make me give up the fight for justice and the legal struggle to reclaim Audu/Faleke mandate. I will ensure that happen”, he added.

source: today

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