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Faleke loses out to Gov Bello at ElectionTribunal

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Faleke

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting over the petition of James Faleke, former deputy governorship candidate to the late Abubakar Audu has thrown out Faleke’s petition.

Faleke was challenging his political party, the APC for substituting Audu for Governor Yahaya Bello in the November 21, 2015 governorship election in Kogi state.

He wanted the Tribunal to declare him the authentic governor, having run on the party’s ticket with Audu, before Audu’s death, and that Bello never took part in the election.

But the Tribunal declared that he lacks the locus standi to challenge the substitution, since he did not take part in the party’s primary election that produced Audu in the first place.

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The Tribunal further submitted that the constitution does not recognize independent candidates as political parties are the ones vested with the power to nominate and sponsor a candidate for any election.

According to the ruling, the failure of Faleke to join INEC in the suit is a major defect to the petition.

The petitioner, Mr Faleke was running as the deputy governorship candidate under the late Abubakar Audu until Audu did, and INEC declared the poll inconclusive.

INEC went ahead to ask the APC to nominate a replacement for the deceased, and Bello was put forward by the party.

Bello picked Faleke as his deputy, but Mr Faleke turned down the offer, but instead approached the tribunal asking it to declare him governor-elect.

 

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