Those being represented by the Deputy Governor-elect of Kogi state, Hon. James Faleke, in the House of Representatives have come under the umbrella of Ikeja Stakeholders’ Forum, ISF, to demand that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declare his seat vacant.
Faleke was the running mate to the late candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prince Abubakar Audu. Audu was already leading in the votes cast in an earlier inconclusive election. His death led the party to nominate Yahaya Bello as his replacement for the supplementary election in Kogi State that was ordered by INEC. This did not go down well with Faleke who is already challenging the decision at the tribunal.
But in a statement issued yesterday by its coordinator, Mr. Olanrewaju Osundairo, the group warned that should INEC fail to declare Faleke’s House of Reps seat vacant, the group would resort to legal action.
They argued that, “By virtue of the fact that Faleke had transferred his franchise away from Lagos to Kogi State, he ceases to be a member of the constituency. He lacks the moral and legal rights to speak for us in Ikeja at the lower legislative chambers.”
ISF maintained that the decision of the lawmaker to contest the governorship has impacted negatively on the representation of the area in the lower chambers, saying the trend must be reversed in the interest of the people of the area.
“You don’t need anyone to tell you that Hon. Faleke has been distracted from representing us at the House of Representatives, all that concerns him now is how to become the governor of Kogi State and not to represent us.”
The statement then threatened that should the electoral body fail to act, “we will compel them to do the needful using the judiciary.”
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