Ebri
From: Diana Okon-Effiong,Calabar
The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been enjoined to fill the vacuum created by the dearth of Prince Abubakar Audu, with one of his sons.
The call was made on Wednesday by Chief Clement Ebri, the former governor of Cross River, in an interview with journalists in Calabar.
The deceased was the APC’s flag-bearer in the Nov. 21 gubernatorial elections in Kogi.
He was leading at the polls before the election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The electoral body also slated Dec. 5 for a supplementary elections in 91 wards in Kogi.
The APC leadership is also weighing options for fresh primaries to fill the vacancy created by Audu’s dearth.
But Ebri, speaking on the side lines of INEC’s directives to the APC to fill the vacuum, said one of Audu’s sons could fill the void if the party so desired.
Ebri was the governor of Cross River from 1992 and 1993 when the late Audu had his first stint as governor of Kogi.
He said that late Audu was fortunate to have grown up children who are also exposed, experienced and have been doing well running a lot of successful businesses.
Ebri also described Audu’s dead as a personal pain to him and a huge loss to the people of Kogi: “Why I join them in mourning, I also appreciate the depth of loss they have suffered.
“I agree that this is a democracy and not a Monarchy, to my knowledge more than one of late Prince Audu’s children have the capacity to take up the seat. I have seen them and I know them to have capacity. So why the party is still thinking of what to do, here is a suggestion; put another Audu in there.’’
He cited some fitting precedents: “In 1991 when we were running our elections, Dr. Joe Nwodo was disqualified and the party got his younger brother to replace him. That was Ekwezilieze Nwodo who did a great job. I am sure that the circumstance we have today dictates that we even consider that.
“That way, the labour of late Prince Audu who had never given up and had spent and sacrificed for his people will not be in vein.’’
Ebri said if his suggestion is taken, it would reassure the people of Kogi that Prince Abubakar Audu is still with them.
He said he had expected the APC to challenge INEC’s declaration that the Nov. 21 polls in Kogi was inconclusive.
“For me one option I thought the APC was going to consider was going to court to challenge INEC and compel them to declare the election conclusive. In this instance, the 49, 000 registered voters whose votes are outstanding are over the 41, 000 winning margin credited to APC.
“How many can be said to be actual possible votes going by the number of PVCs collected within the same area. So it is the number of Permanent Voters cards (PVCs collected that should have told us what the accreditation would have been,” he said.
He said that from what had been made public, already, the APC with Abubakar Audu scored at least, the required 1/4th in 16 local Government Areas of Kogi while the PDP had 1/4th in only six local government areas.
So even if you add the remaining scores to his opponent, it still will not give him victory. On those basics the election should have been declared conclusive.
“I expected APC to have explored that option to compel INEC, however, I believe the party knows what they are doing and they have legal advisers.The other issue is that the Supreme Court had taken a decision that victory is for the party and the candidate comes later.
“So the votes remain APC votes whether you like it or not. I believe those opposed to it may not really have a case,” Ebri said.
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