asks APC to replace Audu … party to conduct fresh primaries
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has slated December 5, as the new date for the supplementary gubernatorial election in Kogi State.
To this end, the electoral body has asked the All Progressives Congress (APC) to fill the vacancy created by the demise of the APC’s candidate in the last Saturday’s poll, Abubakar Audu.
The late Audu was the leading candidate before INEC declared the election inconclusive, and was leading his closest rival and incumbent governor, Idris Wada of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with over 41,000 votes.
A statement signed by Augusta Ogakwu, INEC’s secretary, Tuesday, disclosed that election would hold in 91 polling units where election was declared inconclusive.
The Commission pointed out that APC had notified it on Audu’s demise Monday, November 23. Coincidentally, the Commission issued a statement on Monday, saying APC was yet to notify it of Audu’s death.
“Accordingly, notice is hereby given to all the 22 political parties participating in the Kogi governorship election that supplementary election in the 91 affected polling units shall hold on 5 December 2015, dated this 24th date of November 2015,” the statement read in part.
Consequently, the national leadership of the APC on Tuesday ordered that fresh primaries be conducted for another candidate to emerge.
Addressing journalists at the national secretariat of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun, its national chairman, said the decision was taken having received a letter from INEC asking it to send a replacement for the late Abubakar Audu.
