Kogi State: APC To Replace Faleke As Bello's Deputy

Ahead of today’s inauguration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as the governor of Kogi State, All Progressive Congress,  APC, has raised a committee to find replacement for the unwilling deputy- governor elect , Mr. James Abiodun Faleke.

Faleke and Yahaya

Similarly, APC leaders from Kogi East have distanced themselves from media reports endorsing one Gowon Usman Egbunu as Deputy Governor, claiming the purported endorsement was forged.

This came as chieftain of APC, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, said the inauguration of Alhaji Bello as the governor of Kogi State, was an aberration that would be addressed by the Supreme Court in the fullness of time.

The Committee, “Kogi West committee for selection of Deputy governor”, is expected to submit its report to the party’s national secretariat within the week.

It was gathered however that the committee has penciled down Mrs. Justina Abanida,  Dr David Atte and Mr. Kola Bamisaye, for consideration.

Vanguard gathered that the Committee headed by Mr. Samuel Mogbole, narrowed the list from initial seven to the three based on their political strength and contributions to the party in time past.

Mrs. Abanida who hails from Egbe, Yagba West local government, is a prominent politician and was Attorney- General of the state between 1994 and 1996.

Dr Atte on his part, was once the Commissioner for Education in the defunct Kwara State, and hails from Itakete-Ide in Mopamuro Local Government area of the state.

Though not much is known in the political scene about Bamisaye until now, but works at the National Assembly commission in Abuja.

In a related development, A cross section of APC leaders from Kogi East told Vanguard that the purported endorsement of Egbunu was not a part of the resolution of the meeting of the Kogi East caucus.

Some of the leaders who confirmed to Vanguard that they never discussed the Deputy Governorship issue nor endorsed anyone. Those who spoke were Sule Amodu, Yahaya Meyanga, Peter Akasakowa,  Friday Adejoh and Jubril Usman.

According to them, a purported endorsement clause was smuggled into their resolutions by perceived “self-serving politicians.”

Meanwhile, Igbokwe, who is the Publicity Secretary of the party in Lagos State, while speaking in his personal capacity on his Facebook page, described Bello as an interloper, who was foisted on the state by vested interests.

He contended that it was wrong for the national and state chapter of the APC to choose Bello as a replacement for the late Prince Abubakar Audu, claiming the former’s loyalty to the party during the governorship election was questionable.

Source: The Vanguard