Four contenders to battle Kogi APC ticket against Yahaya Bello

Investigation by National Daily has revealed that no fewer than four persons are now on the edge to snatch the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello, when the governorship election is held in Kogi State on November 2, this year.

National Daily gathered that apart from a member of the House of Representatives, James Abiodun Faleke (Ikeja Federal Constituency), two sons of the late former governor of the state, Abubakar Audu and a top shot of the Nigerian Consumer Protection Council, Babatunde Irukera, are also in contention.

The two Audu sons are from different mothers, as the late politicians married three wives.

Faleke, who also sought to be declared the candidate of the APC after the death of Audu in 2015 few hours after the election, is still enjoying the support of Senator Bola Tinubu, a leader of the party.

Faleke was the running mate to Audu before Audu died few hours before he would have been declared the winner of the poll.

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Bello, who came second in the primary election of the APC was then subsequently announced as the candidate of the party.

Sources in the APC said Bello would be given the Ambode treatment, as there was no way he could win an election in the state.

“Bello is a big flop. He was given close to N30 billion as Paris Club refund to pay salary arrears, but he did not but wasted the money. Recall that the money would have been given to the then governor, Idris Wada, but we prevailed on the Presidency not to do that as it could be used for the governorship poll that was approaching then. Wada is of the Peoples Democratic Party and we thought Bello would do well.

” Also, youthful exuberance is his hallmark. He is not only power drunk, but he sees everybody as his enemies. How do you describe his recent outburst and war against the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Nasir Ajanah. The CJ is from his area in Okene, if he can do that to the CJ, what about other people,” a source said told National Daily.

It was also gathered that Bello is no longer in the good book of the Presidency.

Before his fall from grace, Bello’s main stake to popularity is his acclaimed support for President Muhammadu Buhari.