Kogi Guber: Audus battle for APC ticket

Newsflash247 on Sunday reports that the APC’s nomination and expression of interest forms for the Kogi governorship election cost N22.5 million.

This implies that the party would have at the end of the day raked about N67.5 million from the Audus family alone.

Amongst other aspirants who have also bought the APC’s forms ahead of the party’s primary include incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello; a former Director General of NASRDA, Prof. Seidu Mohammed Ogah; Sports Administrator, Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi and former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Jibrin Usman. Audu, who was the first civilian governor of Kogi State and APC flag bearer in the November 21, 2015 governorship election in the state died while coasting home to victory in the contest.

He had polled 240,867 votes while Captain Idris Wada, the then incumbent governor, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 199,514 to come second.

However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the election inconclusive because of the margin of votes between the late Audu and Wada which was 41,353.

Eventually, the APC settled for Alhaji Yahaya Bello as its replacement for the late Audu whose death became public shortly after the election was declared inconclusive.

The sudden death of the political icon while on the verge of victory came as a rude shock to his immediate family, political family, friends and associates.

Perhaps, the passion to reclaim the mandate of the late former governor who could not live to enjoy the fruits of his labour might have sparked high level interests amongst his immediate family members ahead of the November 16 governorship election.

For now, it is evident there is a wide gulf as everyone feels he is best suited to fill the vacuum left by their torch-bearer. Besides, the alleged sidelining of the Audu’s immediate/political family by the incumbent governor who benefitted from the political struggles of the former governor is also said to be responsible for the level of interest being shown by the family members.

The three Audu’s are also said to be leveraging on the strong political influence and goodwill of the late Audu to oil the wheel of their political ambitions.

But the fact that three members of the Audu family are gunning for the APC governorship ticket from the incumbent has got many people talking.

How the trio intend to actualise their tall political aspirations still remains a mystery.

Many political observers in the state are of the view that the Audus should have presented one person and use the remaining resources to prosecute the family’s political aspiration. It is still not clear if there will be any political realignment amongst the Audus to perhaps, better their outing at the primary.

The Audus have been talking tough and exuding confidence of emerging victorious to continue the vision of the late Abubakar Audu for Kogi State.

They are particularly not happy that the incumbent governor who “inherited” their father/brother’s votes had allegedly failed the people of the state.