Abiodun Faleke, with late Abubakar Audu

Richard Elesho/ Lokoja

The first anniversary of the death of Prince Abubakar Audu former Governor of Kogi State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in last year’s Governorship election in the state, he home in Ogbonicha, Ofu Local Government Area of the State. Supporters of the departed politician congregated in his home to celebrate his life and to offer prayers in his remembrance. Audu who was clearly leading in the election, mysteriously died the day after on Sunday November, 22nd before he was formally declared winner, throwing the State and the country in a prolonged constitutional crisis.

Prominent among the dignitaries was Abiodun James Faleke, a member of the House of Representatives and his running mate in the 21st November gubernatorial polls. Faleke, has since the unfortunate demise of his principal, assumed the status of heir apparent of the political family. Wearing a long and pensive mood, Faleke decried the way the Audu political family was treated by his party after the death of the former Governor and disclosed that the only condition for reconciliation and peace is justice.

The federal law maker denied being party to any reconciliatory move that is not built on the natural principles of equity, fairness and justice. He noted that it is not possible for him to romance with Governor Yahaya Bello’s government in the state who is the chief beneficiary of the injustice done to Audu’s political family.

According to him, the logjam in APC in the state could not be resolved because of te resolved because of the way and manner the national leadership of the party handled the issues that generated after Audu’s death.

He said, “There can never be any reconciliation in a situation where somebody works from first day to the last day of the month and another person collects his salary, what can only be the basis for reconciliation is for the salary to be returned, that is the only reconciliation.

“We are prepared to go hungry for the next four years, but I can tell you that God sparing our lives, the song will change surely”.

Speaking further on the crisis rocking the APC in the state, Faleke said every right thinking man knows that it was a fallout of the faulty manner with which the national secretariat of the party handled the crisis after the demise of Audu. He noted that the development had affected the party in the state, lamenting that its fortune had nosedived.

Hear him: “The architects of the crisis in Kogi state started the imminent downfall of our party, APC. The way and manner the issue of Kogi was handled was least expected of a political party. I have heard that one of the cabals said that APC was just a gathering of some people, not yet a political party.

“I want to say that as far as what happened in Kogi state is concerned and how it is affecting the party, I am sure those in government in the state can confirm that all is not well within the party in the state because when you worked and some people are benefitting or reaping the fruits of your labour, they will know that all cannot be well and that is why they are not getting their feet right.

“It is one year after Audu and nothing seems to be moving, it has taken the state more than seven to eight months to do screening and pay salary. People have die through queueing or waiting for their names to be screened.

“Those that had been screened have not collected salary since January this year. You can imagine that. Cerrtainly things are very bad, we know how much we spend to maintain our people in the state to keep life moving.

“When people work and at the end of the month they are not paid, you can be sure that nothing can go well. So whatever that goes on in the civil service in the state is also affecting the party.

“What happened to us during the case and when we lost our leader one year ago and all the battles we went through in the legal process, the way and manner the court judgments came, the issues that were determined have shown that we are not in a party yet. As far as am concerned, until the party at the national level wakes up.

“You know that this party was formed by all of us. We contributed to it. It is not an animal farm. It belongs to everybody. Until they realized that, that is the only time that this party can have a foot and can move forward. If our people get paid, if our people are empowered and entrenched, I am sure the songs will change. But as it is now, it is bad bad song”. END