BREAKING NEWS, Politics
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THE mood in Kogi State on Monday, November 23, was sombre as people in the state tried to accept the death of Abubakar Audu, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who died around 5 am on Sunday, November 22. He was 68 years old.
The state government has declared a three-day mourning period in honour of Audu who was once a governor of the state. The remains of the politician would be buried in Ogbonicha-Alloma, his village, in Ofu Local Government Area, at 2:00 pm on Monday, November 23 according to Islamic rites. Ogbonicha-Alloma in Ofu Local Government Area following complications from a stroke. His death set off arguments about the future of the election.
According to reports many leaders of the APC were already in Kogi State for the occasion. Idris Wada, governor of the state, sent Yomi Awoniyi, his deputy to represent the state at the burial.
Audu was leading Wada, his closest challenger and incumbent governor representing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by 41,353 votes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, however, declared the election inconclusive as possible votes from the 91 cancelled polling units, representing 49,953 votes, as higher than the margin between the two leading candidates.
Sources said Audu died of sudden stop of blood to his heart. Indication to his ill health manifested on Friday, November 20, night when he was said to have started vomiting blood.
The family source said that Audu was very weak and on the morning of the Election Day, Saturday, November 21, doctors gave him blood transfusion, which gave him enough strength to go to his home town in Ogbonicha to cast his vote.
There in the village, the former APC flag bearer was said to have started vomiting again.
“After a while he became unconscious and died around 5 a.m. on Sunday morning,” a source.
According to the source, Audu had died before the collation and announcement of the INEC that the election was inconclusive.
— Nov 23, 2015 @ 11:20 GMT
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