Kogi Governor-Elect To Reconcile With Audu’s Family

Kogi Governor-elect, Yahaya Bello

The Governor-elect of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, said that he would commence the process of reconciliation with the family members of the late candidate of the party, Abubakar Audu, whom he replaced after getting the nod of the leadership of the party.

Mr. Bello was announced as the winner of the election on Sunday after the results of supplementary election, which held in 19 polling units, were announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

READ ALSO: INEC Declares Yahaya Bello Winner Of Kogi Election

After the death of Mr. Audu, and the announcement by INEC directing the APC to replace its candidate in order to complete the election earlier declared inconclusive, the Kogi State chapter of the party had asked the national leadership of the party to allow the son of the late Mr. Audu, Mohammed Audu, run with the running mate of his father, James Faleke.

The decision of the party to pick Mr. Bello instead had polarised the party along several interests.

Mr. Bello in an interview monitored on Silverbird Television while speaking with reporters in Lokoja, the state capital, shortly after he was declared governor elect said the major task ahead of him is to reconcile all the warring factions of the party in the state.

“I have to embark on a quick reconciliatory move towards the immediate family as well as the political family of the late great leader of our party, and all other leaders of our party and even outside the party by reaching out to them,” he said.

The new governor also called on his supporters to be modest in their celebration as a mark of respect to late Audu. He said he would transform Kogi state by working in line with the manifesto of the APC.

He promised “justice, fairness and equity in the distribution of resources across the state”.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had on Friday declined jurisdiction to entertain five suits challenging the conduct of the main and supplementary election and asked all the parties to take their case to the governorship election tribunal whenever it is set up.

Mr. Bello downplayed the effect litigations would have on his mandate.

He said although litigations are a normal follow up to elections in Nigeria, he said he believed “the party would do what is right and handle everything well eventually”.