There is an uneasy calm at the moment in the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kogi State over the choice of Hon. Abiodun Faleke, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Ikeja Federal Constituency of Lagos State, as the running mate to the governorship candidate of the APC for the November 21 governorship election in the state, Alhaji Abubakar Audu.
Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, though an indigene of Kogi State, has always played his politics in Lagos. He was a two term chairman of Ojodu Local Council Development Area and a second term member of the House of Representatives, representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, Lagos. During his time as a council boss in Lagos, Abiodun Faleke was the chairman of Forum 57, a forum of LGA and LCDA bosses in Lagos State.
Aside his prominence in the politics of Lagos State, Faleke is believed to be one of the trusted loyalists of the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
However, his adoption as the running mate to former Governor, Abubakar Audu may have drawn the ire of prominent members of the APC in Kogi State and vocal indigenes of Kogi West Senatorial District, where he hails from.
Reports reaching DAILY POST suggests that several chieftains of the party in the state are angry over Faleke’s choice, hinging their disapproval on the fact that he is not known in Kogi political circles and do not have a political base in the state.
A visibly angry Chieftain of the party from the western part of the state, who spoke to DAILY POST on the telephone, said the choice of Falake has only succeeded in rubbishing all the effort they have made in building the party from inception, asking if Okun land lacks other qualified individuals in the party that have in the last two years contributed to its growth.
“There is no doubt that the choice of Faleke is a tactical error on the part of Alhaji Abubakar Audu and those who promoted that choice. It is an error because by this, they have succeeded in telling us that those who have worked hard to build the party in the state are no good materials worthy of consideration. Why bring somebody, who by every standard is an outsider in the politics of Kogi State?” he queried.
Aside the issue of the “foreigner” status Faleke has been labeled with by most active Kogi Politicians, another trouble his pairing with Audu may have is the age-long zoning formula the western part of the state has been practicing.
This zoning formula, according to sources, may spell doom for the APC candidate and his running mate if something urgent is not done to correct the seeming imbalance.
A source in Lokoja confided in DAILY POST that it has never happened in the history of Kogi West for two high ranking political office to come from the same local government, as it is likely to happen if Audu sticks to Faleke as his running mate.
According to the source, Senator Dino Melaye, is from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of the state while Abiodun Faleke is from Ekirin Adde, also in Ijumu Local Government. This, the source said, will certainly be restricted by other LGAs in the senatorial district, as it will be an injustice to them.
The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, said if the situation is not corrected, the APC would have willingly played into the hands of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and ruin its chances of wrestling power from the ruling party in state.
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