Why APC Dumped Audu’s Running-mate, To Conduct Fresh Primaries

The All Progressives Congress, APC, on Tuesday announced that it would conduct fresh primaries to determine a replacement for its late candidate, Abubakar Audu, in the inconclusive governorship election in Kogi State.

Mr. Audu’s death was announced on Sunday shortly after Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared the election inconclusive.

Addressing journalists at the party’s national Secretariat in Abuja, the national chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun, said delegates to the last primaries – which saw the emergence of the late candidate – would determine who becomes the candidate.

On the fate of Mr. Audu’s running-mate, James Faleke, the APC national chairman said it would be decided after conducting fresh primary election.

“As a party, we are going to proceed with process of organising primaries to provide a substitute candidate for the late Abubakar Audu,” the party chairman declared.

While expressing his condolences to the family of late Audu on behalf of APC worldwide, Mr. Oyegun said the Attorney General of the Federation had made it public that the APC should replace the late candidate.

“He (attorney general) has made a pronouncement to the effect that all that is required is for the APC to go through the processes of providing a substitute to our late candidate.

“The INEC is also in agreement with the views of the attorney general because we have already received a letter from them formally asking us to find a replacement for the vacancy that has been created by the passing on of Prince Abubakar Audu.

“So that is what will engage the APC at this moment,” he said.

He said the party would go into executive session Tuesday to decide on the modalities of the primaries.