Faleke sues INEC, urges court to declare him governor-elect

monjola sotubo

December 1, 2015 5:17 PM

Faleke is also urging the Federal High Court in Abuja to declare him governor-elect as a result of the November 21 polls held in the state.

James Faleke

The deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, James Faleke, has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its decision on the APC candidacy for the state’s governorship elections.

Faleke is also urging the Federal High Court in Abuja to declare him governor-elect as a result of the November 21 polls held in the state, Premium Times reports.

The deputy governorship candidate ran alongside late Prince Abubakar Audu before the latter’s death on November 22.

The duo were in the lead before INEC declared the election inconclusive and ordered a supplementary poll.

The electoral body also authorized the APC to choose a replacement for Audu to participate in the December 5 elections.

The party named Yahaya Bello as its candidate and Faleke as running mate, a decision which didn’t sit well with the latter.

“In law and logic, no new candidate can inherit or be a beneficiary of the votes already cast, counted and declared by INEC before that candidate was nominated and purportedly sponsored,” Faleke wrote to INEC through his laywer, Wole Olanipekun who filed the case today, December 1, 2015.

“Assuming without conceding that INEC is even right to order a supplementary election, the votes already cast, counted and declared on Saturday, 25th November 2015, were votes for the joint constitutional ticket of Prince Abubakar Audu and our client.

“Therefore, no new or ‘supplementary’ candidate can hijack, aggregate, appropriate or inherit the said votes,” he added.

READ: Tinubu reportedly reject Bello, supports Faleke for Kogi governorship polls

Meanwhile, Faleke has nominated Audu’s son, Mohammed as his running mate and vowed to reclaim his mandate.

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