BREAKING NEWS, Politics
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THE Kogi State governorship election tribunal has ruled that the failure of James Faleke to join INEC in his petition against the election of Governor Yahaya Bello of the state is a major defect to his petition. Tribunal ruled that Faleke lacks the locus standi to challenge the substitution of late Abubakar Audu having not participated in the All Progressives Congress, APC, primaries that produced Audu.
The Tribunal further held that the constitution does not recognise independent candidates as political parties are the ones vested with the power to nominate and sponsor a candidate for any election. The Tribunal added that the APC was legally right to substitute its candidate due to force majeur as the November 21, 2105 election was declared inconclusive.
“It is parties that win and lose an election and APC was duly invited by INEC to present a new candidate following the death of Audu. Records before the court showed that Bello participated in the APC primaries that produced Audu and emerged as the runner up,” it stated.
The Tribunal holds that there is valid material before it confirming the sponsorship of Governor Bello and having contested the primaries against Audu, he was the best person to step into the shoes of the late Audu. Tribunal also dismissed Faleke’s claims that the 240,687 votes of November 21, 2015, was transferred to Governor Bello because it held that the votes belong to the APC and not Audu.
Faleke of the APC had asked the Kogi State election petition tribunal to declare him as the authentic winner of the November 21, 2015 governorship election in Kogi State on the ground that the current Governor Bello never participated in the said election.
It could be recalled that Faleke was running as the deputy governorship candidate under the late Audu up until INEC declared the poll inconclusive after Audu died. INEC went ahead to ask the APC to nominate a replacement for the deceased. Governor Bello was nominated and he selected Faleke as his deputy, but Faleke declined. Faleke thereafter approached the tribunal asking it to declare him governor-elect.
— Jun 6, 2016 @ 13:40 GMT
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