Hon. James Abiodun Faleke on Wednesday came under heavy criticism by the late Prince Abubakar Audu’s political family for saying he would hand over the political family to Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
In a statement issued by the family’s spokesman, the family described Faleke’s comment as an unfortunate betrayal of the late Prince Audu, saying the Lagos lawmaker should stop trading Audu’s name.
The statement said while it cannot hold Hon. Faleke from tearing the fabrics of his political clan in Kogi State, he should stop the misconception of handing the family to Yahaya Bello.
“We are not commodities that can be sold to a buyer in any open market. Our political participation in Kogi State predates the incursion of Faleke into Kogi politics.
“How then can we become pawns in his political game of chess?
“The choice of Honourable Faleke to work for Governor Yahaya Bello is his personal decision and it does not reflect the decision of the political family of Prince Audu.
They wondered why Hon. James Abiodun Faleke who was co-opted as a Lagos representative from Ikeja and Lagos politician, to deputise the late former Governor in a relationship that did not last more than 6 months could usurp the large political empire of Prince Abubakar Audu which predated him.
“Some of us have been following late Prince Abubakar Audu since his days at NRC and we moved together to APP, ANPP, ACN and eventually to APC until the death of our leader.
“We wonder how a stranger who joined the family barely six months to the demise of prince Audu think he can sell us as a cheap commodity to Governor Bello. He must certainly have an over blotted image of himself”, the family noted.
The family reminded the Lagos lawmaker of how Yahaya Bello fabricated robbery allegations against the first scion of the late politician, Mohammed Audu, adding that Faleke should come out openly retract the comment.
They urged the general public and the large political family of the late politician to disregard Faleke’s misleading statement ahead of November 16 governorship election in Kogi State.