The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to present certificate of return to Alh. Yahaya Bello, Kogi state governor elect today, December 9. Vanguard reports that the commission without considering any last minute change had scheduled the presentation ceremony to take place in the INEC’s office in Lokoja, the state capital.
A source at the commission who spoke on condition of anonymity said the event is scheduled to take place by 2.pm this afternoon. Bello is obviously expected to grace the ceremony with thousands of his supporters across the state since there is no law restricting him from coming with huge entourage. It could not be ascertained as at the time of filling this report if the Governor-elect would be coming to the occasion with his deputy, Hon. Abiodun Faleke, following the revelation he made in a letter circulated by various medium.
Recall that Hon. Faleke in a letter written some days ago, threatened to boycott the January 27, 2016 swearing-in ceremony in Lokoja. His dissatisfaction is not unconnected with stance that, he was never a running mate to Alh. Bello hence cannot be his deputy.
But the governor-elect, Bello, had said he would not join issues with James Faleke, the running-mate of late Abubakar Audu, who has resumed full legislative duty just 72-hour after the conclusion of the election. The party in a recent attempt to mediate in the crisis following the replacement of its late governorship candidate, Prince Audu, was reportedly uncovered, according to This Day report.
Meanwhile, in another peace and reconciliation move, the campaign council of Bello, reportedly asked Faleke, and other angry party members to accept the outcome of Saturday’s election as the wish of God.
The unexpected situation that occurred in Kogi state’s political landscape had left some questions unanswered as to what the stand of the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act really states regarding the substitution of a party candidate when the cold hands of death cuts short the life of an anointed candidate.